PRESENTED  TO  THE  LIBRARY  /g//  ] 


OF 


PRINCETON  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINIIRY 


By 


(Wps.   Alejiandep  Ppoudfit. 


EXPOSITORY  NOTES 


ON 


THE    BOOK    OF    JOSHUA. 


Expository   Notes 


ON   THE   BOOK   OP 


JOSHUA. 


BY 


HOWARD    CROSBY, 

FASTOn  OF  THE  FOURTH  AVENUE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH,  NE"W 
YORK,  AND  CHANCELLOR  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  THE 
CITY  OF  NEW  YORK. 


NEW  Y^ORK: 
ROBERT  CARTER  AND  BROTHERS, 

530  Broadway. 

1875. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1874,  by 

IIOWAUD   CROSBY, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  "Washington. 


Cambridge  : 
Press  of  John  Wilson  &*  Son. 


PREFACE. 


''  I  ^HE  Book  of  Joshua  records  the  conquest  of 
Canaan  by  the  children  of  Israel,  and  their 
permanent  establishment  in  the  land.  Although 
the  destructive  criticism  has  attempted  to  disprove 
its  unity,  its  arguments  have  been  specious  and 
puerile.  No  book  of  the  Scriptures  is  more  con- 
sistent with  itself,  and  is  more  well-proportioned 
and  complete  in  its  construction.  It  opens  with 
God's  order  to  Joshua,  as  Moses'  successor,  to  lead 
Israel  into  Canaan,  and  it  closes  with  Joshua's 
death,  after  the  conquest  and  settlement  of  the 
country  under  his  leadership  had  been  sealed  by 
twenty  years  of  peaceful  possession. 

In  a  few  places  there  are  indications  of  omis- 
sions, where  it  is  likely  parts  of  the  book  have 
failed  in  the  transcription;  but  these  occur  in 
geographical  lists,  where  such  omissions  would  be 
most  apt  to  occur,  and  where  they  are  of  least 
importance.  Examples  of  such  omissions  are  in 
chap.  XV.,  between  the  fifty-ninth  and  sixtieth 
verses,  where  a  group  of  prominent  towns  of  Judah 


6  PREFACE. 

are  wanting  (though  given  in  the  LXX),  and  in 
the  description  of  Manasseh's  border  in  chap.  xvii. 
The  narrative,  though  regular  in  its  order,  some- 
times, it  is  true,  mentions  an  incident  out  of  its 
chronological  place,  but  in  such  cases  forms  the 
exception  for  the  sake  of  the  continuity  of  another 
chain  of  events.  Neither  the  omissions  nor  these 
occasional  departures  from  an  annalist's  chronolog- 
ical exactness  invalidate  in  the  slightest  the  perfect 
unity  of  the  book ;  and  therefore  from  this  argu- 
ment no  ground  is  gained  against  its  authenticity 
as  a  work  composed  very  soon  after  the  events  it 
records,  perhaps  by  Phinehas  the  high-priest.  All 
attempts  to  find  a  later  date  from  the  character  of 
the  Hebrew  used  in  the  book  are  equally  vain,  the 
language  being  precisely  that  which  we  should  ex- 
pect to  follow  the  Mosaic  period,  and  presenting  no 
difficulty  whatever  to  the  comparative  linguist. 

That  the  book  was  written  shortly  after  the 
events  which  it  records,  is  evident  from  chap.  vi. 
25,  where  Rahab  is  spoken  of  as  still  living  in  the 
writer's  time. 

The  book  naturally  divides  itself  into  two  parts : 
the  conquest  of  the  land,  and  the  distribution  of 
its  districts  to  the  tribes.  Each  of  these  divisions 
occupies  twelve  chapters  of  the  twenty-four.  In 
composing  the  book,  doubtless  public  records  pre- 
pared by  Joshua  and  by  Eleazer  were  used  ;  and  to 
this  fact  may  be  attributed  such  repetitions  as  that 


PKEFACB.  7 

of  the  phrase,  "  the  land  had  rest  from  war,"  in 
chap.  xi.  23,  and  chap.  xiv.  15,  and  such  gaps  as 
those  between  chap.  xxii.  and  xxiii.,  and  between 
chap,  xxiii.  and  xxiv.,  only  such  selections  beiug 
made  as  were  appropriate  to  a  peo2:)le^s  hook,  that 
should  be  in  constant  use  among  the  tribes. 

The  two  general  divisions  of  the  book,  the  one 
touching  the  conquest  and  the  other  touching  the 
distribution,  may  be  subdivided  as  follows : — 

I.  Joshua's  encouragement,  chap.  i.  1-9. 
11.  Joshua's  preliminary  preparations  for  crossing  Jor- 
dan, chap.  i.  10 — ii.  24. 

III.  Joshua's    ultimate    preparations  for   crossing  Jor- 

dan, chap.  iii.  1-13. 

IV.  The  crossing,  chap.  iii.  14-v.  1. 

V.  Preparations  for  the  conquest,  chap.  v.  2-vi. 
VI.  The  conquest,  chap,  vii.-xii. 
Vn.  The  inheritance  of  the  two  tribes  and  a  half,  chap. 

xiii. 
Vni.  The  inheritance  of  the  nine  tribes  and  a  half,  chap, 
xiv.-xix. 
IX.  The  cities  of  refuge,  chap.  xx. 
X.  The  Levitical  cities,  chap.  xxi. 

XI.  The  return  of  the  two  tribes  and  a  half,  chap.  xxii. 
XII.  Joshua's  two  farewell  addresses,  chap,  xxiii.-xxiv. 

The  present  little  volume  is  an  attempt  to  put 
in  succinct  form  such  explanations  of  the  text  as 
may  help  the  reader  to  its  clearer  understanding, 
without  annoying  him  with  tlie  details  of  criticism. 
For  a  thorough  topographical  examination  of  the 
Book  of  Joshua,  one  should  use  the  maps  of  Rob- 


8  PREFACE. 

inson  or  Van  de  Yelde,  or  the  newly  published 
and  very  valuable  maps  found  in  Smith's  Ancient 
Atlas. 

Not  wishing  to  burden  the  notes  with  discussion, 
I  have  put  in  an  Appendix  such  thoughts  on  some 
of  the  main  points  of  the  history  as  I  wished  to 
express  at  greater  length. 

In  the  hope  that  this  effort  may  contribute  its 

little  to  the  extension  of  Bible  knowledge,  and  to 

the  blessed  fruits  of  such  knowledge,  I  submit  it 

to  its  readers. 

H.  C. 


COMMENTARY   ON    JOSHUA, 


CHAPTER   I. 

I.    Joshua's  Encouragement.     (Ver.  1-9.) 

1  Now  after  the  death  of  Moses,  the  servant  of  the 
Lord,  it  came  to  pass,  that  the  Lord  spake  unto 
Joshua  the  son  of   Nun,  Moses'  minister,  saying, 

'TpHIS  passage  is  the  connecting  link  between 
-*-       Denteronomy  and  the  book  of  Joshua.     It 
presents  Joshua  taking  the  place  of  Moses  by  the 
Divine  command. 

Ver.  1.  Moses  the  servant  of  the  Lord.  Moses 
has  this  high  designation  given  him  in  the  Scrip- 
tures far  oftener  than  any  other  man  (Ex.  xiv. 
31 ;  Num.  xii.  7 ;  Deut.  xxxiv.  5  ;  Josh.  ix.  24 ; 
1  Kings  viii.  56  ;  2  Kings  xviii.  12  ;  2  Kings  xxi. 
8;  1  Chron.  vi.  49;  2  Chron.  xxiv.  9;  Neh.  x. 
29 ;  Dan.  ix.  11  ;  MaL  iv.  4  ;  Rev.  xv.  3  i  Ps. 
cv.  26).  The  ground  of  this  peculiar  emphasis  may 
be  found  (Num.  xii.  8,  and  Heb.  iii.  5)  in  Moses' 
singular  faithfulness.  The  title  "  servant  of  God  " 
is  also  applied  in  Scripture  to  patriarchs,  as  Abra- 
ham, Jacob,  and  Job  ;  to  prophets,  as  Elijah,  Jonah, 
1* 


10  COMMENTARY   ON 

Daniel,  and  Isaiah ;  to  a  pious  king,  as  Hezeldah ; 
to  a  good  leader,  as  Zerubbabel ;  to  an  upright 
statesman,  as  Eliakim,  in  Hezekiah's  time  ;  to  apos- 
tles, as  Paul  and  James  and  John  ;  and  even  to  a 
heathen  monarch,  as  Nebuchadnezzar.  May  the 
application  in  the  last  case  be  an  indication  that 
Nebuchadnezzar  became  a  true  child  of  God  by 
faith  ? 

S'pahe  unto.    By  Urim  and  Thummim.    (See  lat- 
ter part  of  the  next  note.) 

Joshua^  the  son  of  Nun,  was  of  the  tribe  of 
Ephraim,  and  first  appears  as  generalissimo  of  the 
army  of  Israel  (as  distinguished  from  the  "  children 
of  Israel"  at  large),  in  the  battle  against  the  Am- 
alekites  near  Rephidim  (Ex.  xviii.  9).  He  was 
then  over  forty  years  of  age,  according  to  Josephus 
(Ant.  V.  1,  29).  At  Mount  Sinai  he  was  the 
special  attendant  upon  Moses  (Ex.  xxiv.  13,  xxxii. 
17,  xxxiii.  11),  holding  a  position  near  him  during 
the  first  forty  days'  separation  on  the  mount,  and 
also  afterward  in  the  provisional" tabernacle.  He 
next  appears  as,  in  conjunction  with  Caleb,  oppos- 
ing the  cowardly  report  of  ten  of  the  spies  who 
had  been  sent  to  view  the  land  of  Canaan  (Num. 
xiv.  6).  Thirty-eight  years  later,  God  orders  his 
special  appointment  as  the  successor  of  Moses 
(Num.  xxvii.  18).  He  was  to  be  to  Eleazar  what 
Moses  had  been  to  Aaron.  Yet  Joshua  never  had 
the  high  distinction  which  Moses  had  of  having 
the  Lord  talk  to  him  "  mouth  to  mouth  "  (Num. 
xii.  8).     The  phraseology  in  Num.  xxvii.  20  shows 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   I.  11 

2  Moses  my  servant  is  dead;  now  therefore  arise,  go 
over  this  Jordan,  thou  and  all  this  people,  unto  the  land 
which  I  do  give  to  them,  ecen  to  the  children  of  Israel. 

3  Every  place  that  the  sole  of  your  foot  shall  tread 
upon,  that  have  I  given  mito  you,  as  I  said  unto  i\Ioses. 

Joshua's  inferiority  to  Moses,  as  well  as  the  fact 
that  he  was  directed  to  apply  to  the  Urim  and 
Thummim  of  the  high-priest  for  direction,  whereas 
Moses  went  directly  to  the  Lord. 

Joshua  is  here  called  "  Moses'  minister  ;  "  that  is, 
"  Moses'  attendant,"  indicative  of  his  previous  po- 
sition before  the  people. 

Ver.  2.  Moses  my  servant  is  dead.  Yet  we 
see  Moses  with  Jesus  on  the   mount  of  transfio*- 

o 

uration  fifteen  centuries  afterward.  There  is  no 
death  for  the  servant  of  God  (John  xi.  26).  It 
cannot  be  too  much  insisted  upon  that  our  com- 
mon use  of  the  word'' death  "  has  relation  only  to 
a  semblance  and  type  of  death,  to  wit,  the  disso- 
lution of  the  body,  and  the  soul's  departure  from  it 
(2  Cor.  V.  8),  while  the  only  true  death,  the  death 
intended  in  Gen.  ii.  17,  is  the  dreadful  departure 
of  the  soul  from  God. 

G-o  over  this  Jordan.  There  is  here  a  double 
definition  of  Israel's  future  possession  that  should 
be  carefully  noted.  First,  there  is  the  land  beyond 
the  Jordan,  that  is,  between  the  Jordan  and  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  which  was  the  land  originally 
promised  to  Abraham  (Gen.  xii.  7). 

Then,  secondly,  there  is  the  larger  territory, 
'''' Every  flace  that  the  sole  of  your  foot  shall  tread 
upon,  that  have  I  given  you,  as  I  said  unto  Moses, 


12  COMMENTARY  ON 

(i.e.^  in  Ex.  xxiii.  31),/rom  the  wilderness  and  this 
Lebanon  even  unto  the  great  river,  the  river  Eui^hra- 
tes,  all  the  land  of  the  Hittites,  and  unto  the  great 
sea  toward  the  goirig  down  of  the  sun^  This  sec- 
ond definition  takes  in  the  whole  country  from 
the  Euphrates  to  the  Mediterranean,  a  territory 
six  times  as  large  as  the  tract  between  the  Jordan 
and  the  sea.  The  smaller  tract,  which  we  call 
Palestine  or  Canaan,  was  to  be,  so  to  speak,  the 
"  adytum,"  or  sacred  centre  of  the  holy  nation, 
while,  according  to  their  faith  and  faithfulness, 
they  should  extend  their  sway  to  the  limits  of 
the  larger  district,  southward  to  the  Red  Sea,  and 
northward  and  eastward  to  the  Euphrates.  The 
latter  boundaries  were  reached  in  the  days  of 
David  and  Solomon.  Joshua  was  simply  to  lead 
Israel  into  their  central  home,  where  they  were  all 
to  be  settled,  except  the  tribes  of  Reuben  and  Gad, 
and  the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh.  These  were  to 
settle  east  of  the  Jordan,  by  a  permission  granted 
to  their  earnestness  of  petition,  and  not  according 
to  the  original  command  of  God.  A  careful  read- 
ing of  Numbers  xxxii.  will  show  that  this  excep- 
tional treatment  of  Reuben,  Gad,  and  one  half 
Manasseh,  was,  like  the  establishment  of  the  king- 
dom afterward  (1  Sam.  viii.  7),  and  the  building 
of  the  temple  (2  Sam.  vii.  7),  an  action  not  ordered 
by  God,  but  permitted  to  the  importunity  of  the 
people.  All  these  three  actions  proved  disastrous. 
The  settlement  of  Reuben,  Gad,  and  one  half 
Manasseh  east  of  Jordan  exposed  them  to  early 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   I.  13 

4  From  the  wilderness  and  this  Lebanon  even  unto 
the  great  river,  the  river  Euphrates,  all  the  land  of  the 
Ilittites,  and  unto  the  great  sea  toward  the  going  down 
of  the  sun,  shall  be  your  coast. 

injury  from  enemies  and  broke  up  the  national 
unit}?',  the  establishment  of  the  kingdom  made  the 
people  to  seek  foreign  alliances  and  introduce  for- 
eign manners,  and  the  building  of  the  temple 
turned  their  religion  from  its  simple  channels  into 
a  pompous  and  gorgeous  externalism,  encouraging 
wealth  and  display  among  the  people,  and  destroy- 
ing the  heart-piety  of  the  nation. 

Ver.  4.  This  Lebanon.  Lebanon  (strictly  Anti- 
Lebanon,  yet  the  same  system  of  mountains)  was 
in  sight  from  the  camp  at  Shittim.  Hence  the 
demonstrative  "this."  [It  is  possible  that  "this" 
may  refer  to  the  desert  and  Lebanon  as  one  line.] 
The  line  from  the  desert,  say  at  Akabah  on  the 
Red  Sea  to  Lebanon,  north  and  south,  is  taken  as 
a  base  line,  and  then  the  country  east  to  the  Eu- 
phrates is  given,  and  afterward  that  west  to  the 
sea.  It  is  the  former  (from  the  base  line  to  the 
Euphrates)  that  is  called  the  land  of  the  Ilittites. 
It  is  true  that  some  Hittites  lived  west  of  the  Jor- 
dan (Gen.  xxiii.  3),  but  the  bulk  of  this  important 
people  dwelt  between  Damascus  and  the  Euphra- 
tes, as  we  find  by  the  lately  discovered  chronicles 
of  the  Assyrian  monarchs.  They  are  spoken  of  as 
the  KJiatti^  a  formidable  people  against  whom  the 
first  Tiglath  Pileser  (about  B.C.  1130)  waged  war. 
Their  territor}-,  it  is  probable,  extended  at  one 
time  as  far  east  as  Lake  Urumiyeh.     They  were, 


14  COMMENTARY  ON 

5  There  shall  not  any  man  be  able  to  stand  before 
thee  all  the  days  of  thy  life:  as  I  was  with  Moses,  so  I 
will  be  with  thee  :  I  will  not  fail  thee,  nor  forsake  thee. 

6  Be  strong  and  of  a  good  courage :  for  unto  this 
people  shalt  thou  divide  for  an  inheritance  the  land 
which  I  sware  unto  their  fathers  to  give  them. 

doubtless,  the  most  warlike,  formidable,  and  ex- 
tended of  all  the  Canaanitish  races.  In  the 
Egyptian  records  we  find  them  in  the  time  of 
Sethos  (say  B.C.  1325)  near  the  Orontes. 

Ver.  5.  There  shall  not  any  man  he  able  to  stand 
"before  thee^  &c.  The  promise,  given  (Deut.  xi. 
25)  to  all  the  people  as  God's  holy  nation,  is  here 
given  to  Joshua  as  its  head.  So  also  the  words, 
used  to  all  Israel  by  Moses  (Deut.  xxxi.  6),  and 
afterward  to  Joshua  personally  (Deut.  xxxi.  8), 
are  here  repeated  to  Joshua  for  his  encouragement. 
The  apostle  shows  (Heb.  xiii.  5)  that  every  child 
of  God  may  appl)'-  such  a  promise  directly  to  him- 
self. The  principles  of  God's  government  are 
always  the  same,  however  much  the  local  details 
may  change. 

Ver.  6.  Be  strong  ayid  of  a  good  courage.  There 
is  very  little  difference  in  the  meanings  of  these 
two  words.  We  might  refer  the  former  to  strength, 
and  the  latter  to  the  firm  stand  which  is  the  result 
of  strength.  We  should  be  led  to  suppose  from 
the  repetition  of  these  words  that  Joshua  was  by 
nature  timid  or  diffident  (Deut.  xxxi.  7,  23  ;  Josh. 
i.  6,  7,  9).  The  immense  responsibility,  now  placed 
upon  his  shoulders  through  the  death  of  Moses, 
began  to  be  felt. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   T.  16 

7  Only  be  thou  strong  and  very  courageous,  that 
thou  mayest  observe  to  do  according  to  all  the  law 
which  Moses  my  servant  commanded  thee:  turn  not 
from  it  to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left,  that  thou  mayest 
prosper  whithersoever  thou  goest. 

8  This  book  of  the  law  shall  not  depart  out  of  thy 
mouth;  but  thou  shalt  meditate  therein  day  and  night, 
that  thou  mayest  observe  to  do  according  to  all  tliat  is 
"written  therein:  for  then  thou  shalt  make  thy  way  pros- 
perous, and  then  thou  shalt  have  good  success. 

9  Have  not  I  commanded  theeV  Be  strong  and  of  a 
good  courage;  be  not  afraid,  neither  be  thou  dismayed: 
for  the  Lord  thy  God  is  with  thee  whithersoever  thou 
goest. 

10  ^  Then  Joshua  commanded  the  officers  of  the 
people,  saying, 

Ver.  7-9.  It  would  require  strength  and  cour- 
age to  observe  strictly  God's  law  before  so  great  a 
people,  and  then  again  a  strict  observance  of  that 
law  would  make  him  prosperous  and  wise  in  action. 
It  is  no  cursory  look  at  God's  written  word  that  is 
required,  but  a  meditating  therein  day  and  niglit 
(comp.  Ps.  i.  2),  that  needs  the  courage  and  con- 
fers the  success.  Fear  and  dismay  at  one's  enemies 
are  for  ever  gone  under  this  spiritual  regimen. 

n.   Joshua's  Preliminary  Preparations  for  Crossing 
Jordan.     (Yer.  10-18,  and  chap.  ii.  1-21.) 

1.   General  Ord-ers. 

Ver.  10.  The  officers  of  the  people.  The  people 
of  Israel  had  officers  (shoterim)  over  them  when 
in  Egypt  (Ex.  v.  6,  19).  From  Num.  xi.  16,  we 
gather  they  were  elders  also,  men  selected  in  each 
tribe  and  family  for  their  years  and  experience. 
The  "seventy"  (Num.  1.  c.)  were  selected  from 


16  COMMENT ABY  ON 


11  Pass  through  the  host  and  command  the  people, 
saying,  PrejDare  you  victuals;  for  within  three  days  ye 
shall  pass  over  this  Jordan,  to  go  in  to  possess  the  land 
•which  the  Lord  your  God  giveth  you  to  possess  it. 

12  ^  And  to  the  Reubenites,  and  to  the  Gadites, 
and  to  half  the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  spake  Joshua, 
saying, 


these  as  the  special  assessors  of  Moses.  In  the 
semi-patriarchal  condition  of  Israel,  these  men 
were  probably  recognized  without  any  uniform 
method  of  election.  Joshua  moves  the  great  host 
through  their  agency. 

Ver.  11.  Pass  through  the  host.  Lit.,  "  Pass 
over  in  the  middle  of  the  camp."  It  implies  per- 
sonal contact  with  all  parts  of  the  vast  host. 

Victuals,  Heb.,  "  zedah,"  which  is^foodfor  a  jour- 
ney. On  the  sixteenth  day  of  Nisan  the  manna, 
that  had  been  their  miraculous  food  for  forty  years, 
was  to  cease  (chap.  v.  12).  Between  that  time 
and  their /w//  supply  from  the  land  of  Canaan  there 
would  be  an  interval  of  scant  supply.  This  present 
provision  was  for  that  emergency.  If  this  order  was 
given  on  the  seventh  of  Nisan,  it  was  given  more 
than  a  week  before  the  manna  ceased,  and  would 
be  a  token  of  that  coming  fact,  and,  in  the  sequel, 
a  helper  to  their  faith.  The  verse  may,  therefore, 
be  thus  paraphrased :  "  Prepare  you  victuals,  for  in 
a  few  days  you  shall  cross  Jordan  and  enter  your 
own  land,  where  the  manna,  your  wilderness-bread, 
shall  cease,  and  you  will  need  your  own  prepared 
supply."  This  preparation  of  victuals  was  thus 
itself  an  exercise  of  their  faith. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   I.  17 

13  Remember  the  word  which  Moses  che  servant  of 
the  Loud  commanded  you,  saying,  The  Loud  your  God 
hath  given  you  rest,  and  hath  given  you  this  land. 

Within  three  days.  They  crossed  on  the  tenth 
day  of  Nisan  (chap.  iv.  19).  Hence  this  order  is 
given  on  the  seventh  of  the  month.  As  the  spies 
returned  to  the  camp  before  the  people  crossed 
(chap.  ii.  23),  and  as  these  spies  had  been  three  days 
(j.^.,  parts  of  three  days)  in  the  mountain  west  of 
Jordan  (chap.  ii.  22),  they  must  have  been  sent  out 
b}^  Joshua  on  the  sixth  of  the  month,  although  the 
story  of  their  expedition  is  not  given  until  after 
this  account  of  the  command  issued  on  the  seventh. 

Which  the  Lord  your  God  giveth  you  to  possess  it. 
Lit.,  "  Jehovah  your  God."  It  is  important  that 
Israel  should  bear  in  mind,  at  the  very  beginning 
of  their  occupation  of  the  land,  that  they  did 
not  possess  it  in  their  own  right  or  by  their  own 
might,  but  received  it  as  a  gift  from  God.  Tliis  is 
the  true  basis  of  all  human  possession,  a  knowledge 
of  which  will  tend  to  make  us  humble  and  satisfied. 

Ver.  13.  The  word  which  Moses  the  servant  of 
the  Lord  commanded  you.  The  record  is  found  in 
Num.  xxxii.  20-28,  and  Deut.  iii.  18-20.  It  was 
necessary  to  remind  the  two  and  a  half  tribes  of 
the  arrangement  made ;  for  the  same  love  of  ease 
which  prompted  them  at  first  to  ask  for  the  land 
east  of  Jordan,  might  tempt  them  to  be  lax  in 
keeping  their  engagement  to  help  their  brethren. 

This  land,  i.e.,  the  land  on  which  Joshua  stood 
when  he  spake,  east  of  the  Jordan. 


18  COMIVIENTARY   ON 

14  Your  wives,  your  little  ones,  and  your  cattle  shall 
remain  in  the  land  which  Moses  gave  you  on  this  sido 
Jordan;  but  ye  shall  pass  before  your  brethren  armed, 
all  the  mighty  men  of  valour,  and  help  them; 

15  Until  the  Lord  have  given  your  brethren  rest,  as 
Tie  hath  f/i.cen  you,  and  they  also  have  possessed  the  land 
which  ithe  Loud  your  God  giveth  them:  then  ye  shall 
return  unto  the  land  of  your  possession,  and  enjoy  it, 
which  Moses  the  Lord's  servant  gave  you  on  this  side 
Jordan  toward  the  sun-rising. 

Ver.  14.  On  this  side  Jordan.  Lit.,  "beyond 
Jordan."     (See  on  ver.  15.) 

A7'med.  A  peculiar  Hebrew  word,  used  of  Israel 
at  the  exodus  (Ex.  xiii.  18),  and  also  in  Josh.  iv. 
12,  and  Judges  vii.  11,  and  supposed  by  some  to 
mean  "  arranged  in  ranks  of  five,"  but  better  un- 
derstood as  meaning  primarily  "girded." 

All  the  mighty  men  of  valour.  That  is,  all  who 
could  be  spared  from  the  equally  necessary  dut}^  of 
protecting  the  wives,  little  ones,  and  cattle  on  the 
east  side.  In  chap.  iv.  13,  we  see  that  forty  thousand 
of  these  two  and  a  half  tribes  passed  over  ;  but  from 
Num.  xxxvi.  7,  18,  34,  we  find  that  the  warriors  of 
these  tribes  were  110,580 ;  so  that  over  seventy  thou- 
sand must  have  remained  to  guard  their  country. 
This  was  not  consulting  their  ease,  and  hence  was 
no  breach  of  their  contract.  Yet  the  necessity  of 
leaving  seventy  thousand  warriors  behind  may  be 
quoted  as  one  of  the  evils  attending  upon  their 
original  desire  to  settle  outside  of  Canaan. 

Ver.  15.  On  this  side  Jordan  toward  the  sun- 
rising.  Lit.,  "  Beyond  Jordan  toward  the  sun- 
rising,"  i.e.^  beyond,  as  viewed  from  the  promised 
land. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   I.  19 

16  Tf  And  they  answered  Joshua  saying,  All  that 
thou  conimandest  us,  we  will  do,  and  whithersoever 
thou  sendest  us,  we  will  go. 

17  According  as  we  hearkened  unto  Moses  in  all 
things,  so  will  we  hearken  unto  thee:  only  the  Lord 
thy  God  be  with  thee,  as  he  was  with  Moses. 

18  Whosoever  he  be  that  doth  rebel  against  thy  com- 
mandment, and  will  not  hearken  unto  thy  words  in  all 
that  thou  commandest  him,  he  shall  be  put  to  death: 
only  be  strong  and  of  a  good  courage. 

Ver.  16-18.  These  two  and  a  half  tribes  show 
a  very  praiseworthy  zeal,  and  a  desire  to  sustain 
the  courage  of  Joshua.  (See  note  on  ver.  6.) 
They  were  faithful  to  their  word.  (See  chap.  xxii. 
1-6.) 


20  COMMENTARY   ON 


CHAPTER  II. 

2.  The  Spies. 

1  And  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun  sent  out  of  Shittim 
two  men  to  spy  secretly,  saying,  Go  view  the  land, 
even  Jericho.  And  they  went,  and  came  into  an  har- 
lot's house,  named  Rahab,  and  lodged  there. 

Ver.  1.  Shittim,  The  full  name  is  (Num. 
xxxiii.  49)  Abel-hasli-Shittim.  The  shittah  is  a 
species  of  acacia-tree,  of  which  several  varieties 
are  found  in  Egypt  and  the  neighboring  lands. 
Abel-hasJi-SJiittim  is  literally  "  meadow  of  the  aca- 
cias." From  these  acacia-trees  the  gum-arabic  is 
obtained.  The  Arabs  give  the  name  of  Seyal  to 
the  species  which  is  most  abundant  in  the  Pales- 
tine region.  It  is  a  thorny  tree  and  grows  in  thick- 
ets. The  place  Shittim  doubtless  derived  its  name 
from  their  abundance.  Shittim  was  situated  on 
the  east  side  of  the  Arabah  (Num.  xxii.  1,  Arhoth 
Moah^  or  "  plains  of  Moab  "),  close  under  the  Moab 
mountains,  probably  at  the  debouchure  of  the 
Wady  Hesban  into  the  plain,  about  five  miles  from 
the  Jordan.  The  Arabah  (now  El-Ghor)  is  here 
about  thirteen  miles  wide,  the  eastern  heights  aver- 
aging five  miles,  and  the  western  averaging  eight 
miles  from  the  river.  Under  the  mountains  the 
plain  is  green,  and  was  probably  more  so  in  ancient 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   II.  21 

times ;  but  out  toward  the  river  it  is  dry  and  ster- 
ile, except  where  the  dense  verdure  along  the 
course  of  the  Jordan  itself  makes  an  exception. 
Shittim  was  the  head-quarters  of  the  host  of  Israel 
during  the  attempt  of  Balak  to  curse  Israel.  (Comp. 
Num.  xxii.  1,  and  xxv.  1.)  They  doubtless  abode 
there  a  long  time,  to  rest  and  prepare  the  host  after 
the  contests  with  Sihon,  with  Og,  and  with  the  Mid- 
ianites.  It  was  from  Shittim  that  Moses  went  up 
to  the  top  of  Pisgah  and  died  (Deut.  xxxiv.  1). 
In  Num.  xxxiii.  49,  we  find  that  the  encampment 
stretched  from  Beth-jesimoth  to  Shittim.  Now  if 
Beth-jesimoth  is  rightly  placed  by  Kiepert,  Van  de 
Velde,  and  others  near  the  spot  where  the  Jordan 
enters  the  Dead  Sea,  then  the  host  of  Israel  may 
be  considered  as  occupying  all  the  south  side  of 
Wady  Hesban  from  the  hills  to  Jordan,  a  distance 
of  five  miles,  their  more  compact  desert  order  being 
altered  for  the  emergency. 

Two  men.  Two,  for  mutual  counsel  and  support. 
The  Saviour  sent  out  his  disciples  two  and  two. 
One  of  these  men  was  probably  Salmon,  the  son  of 
Nahshon,  prince  of  Judah,  who  afterward  married 
Rahab.  (See  Num.  ii.  3,  Ruth  iv.  20,  and  Matt.  i.  5.) 
It  is  likely  that  the  spies  would  be  taken  from  the 
leading  men  of  Israel,  as  in  the  former  instance, 
thirty-eight  years  previously  ;  and  Salmon's  proba- 
ble age  would  agree  with  the  statement  that  these 
spies  were  young  men  (Josh.  vi.  23). 

To  spy  secretly.  The  words  in  Hebrew  are 
"  spies,   secretly  saying."     That  is,    Joshua  gave 


22  COMMENTARY  ON 

2  And  it  was  told  the  king  of  Jericho,  saying,  Be- 
hold, there  came  men  in  hither  to-night  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  to  search  out  the  country. 

them  secret  instructions,  not  letting  the  host  know 
aught  about  it,  lest  they  might  spread  information 
of  the  fact  to  the  marring  of  the  plan. 

The  land,  even  Jericho.  Rather,  "  the  land  and 
Jericho."  They  were  especially  to  inspect  Jericho, 
but  also  to  notice  the  condition  of  the  land  gener- 
ally. Jericho  lay  about  six  miles  west  of  the  Jor- 
dan, near  the  prolific  fountain  of  Ain  es-Sultan. 

A  harlot's  house.  Their  going  to  such  a  house 
would  prevent  observation,  they  might  suppose. 
And,  moreover,  it  was  probably  very  near  the  gate 
they  entered,  for  we  know  the  house  was  partly 
built  on  the  town-wall  (Josh.  ii.  15). 

Ver.  2.  The  king  of  Jericho.  From  the  enumer- 
ation in  chap.  xii.  we  see  there  were  at  least  thirty- 
one  kings  in  Canaan.  This  would  not  give  a 
territory  much  over  ten  miles  square  to  each. 
The  king  of  Jericho  would  naturally  hold  sway  over 
the  lower  Jordan  valley,  west  of  the  river,  his 
territory  being  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  lime- 
stone heights,  of  which  Kuruntul  is  most  conspic- 
uous. The  region  near  the  fountain  is  to-day  very 
green  and  fertile.  A  few  Arab  houses,  and  a  ruined 
castle  called  Eriha  or  Er-Riha,  may  be  considered 
the  sorry  representation  of  the  famous  Jericho. 

Behold,  there  came  men  in  hither  to-night.  The 
speed  with  which  the  news  reached  the  king 
shows,  what  we  should  naturally  expect,  that  the 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  n.  23 

3  And  the  king  of  Jericho  sent  unto  Rahab,  saying, 
Bring  forth  the  men  that  are  come  to  thee,  whicli  are 
entered  into  thine  house:  for  they  be  come  to  search 
out  all  the  country. 

4  And  the  woman  took  the  two  men,  and  hid  them, 
and  said  thus,  There  came  men  unto  me,  but  I  wist 
not  whence  they  ivere: 

5  And  it  came  to  pass  about  the  time  of  shutting  of 
the  gate,  when  it  was  dark,  that  the  men  went  out: 
whither  the  men  went,  I  wot  not:  pursue  after  them 
quickly ;  for  ye  shall  overtake  them. 

greatest  vigHance  was  used  against  the  vast  host  of 
Israelites  that  threatened  the  border.  A  great  ter- 
ror had  seized  upon  the  Canaanitish  kings,  as  they 
knew  that  this  strange  and  numerous  people,  who 
had  for  forty  years  been  dwelling  in  the  southern 
desert,  and  regarding  whom  they  had  heard  such 
stories  of  wonder,  was  about  to  move  upon  them 
and  invade  their  land.  (See  ver.  9-11.)  The  only 
safety  could  be  in  the  most  thorough  vigilance. 

Ver.  3.  For  they  be  come  to  search  out  all  the 
country.  The  king  takes  for  granted  that  Rahab 
is  ignorant  of  the  true  object  of  the  two  men,  and 
is  therefore  wholly  unprepared  for  her  ruse.  This 
makes  her  task  the  easier. 

Ver.  4,  5.  /  wist  not,  &c.  Rahab 's  lie  is  not  to 
be  defended.  She  was  ignorant  of  the  moral  ini- 
quity of  a  lie,  as  she  was  probably  of  that  of 
her  own  style  of  life.  The  depravity  of  Canaan 
had  certainly  lowered  the  standard  of  morality  in 
the  minds  of  all ;  but  this  should  not  lead  us  to 
justify  Rahab,  however  much  the  flagrancy  of  her 
offence  be  modified.  God  regarded  her  faith  and 
overlooked  her  lie,  as  in  the  case  of  Jael. 


24  COMMENTABY  ON 

6  But  she  had  brought  them  up  to  the  roof  of  the 
house,  and  hid  them  with  the  stalks  of  flax,  which  she 
had  laid  in  order  upon  the  roof. 

7  And  the  men  pursued  after  them  the  way  to  Jor- 
dan unto  the  fords:  and  as  soon  as  they  which  pursued 
after  them  were  gone  out,  they  shut  the  gate. 

Ver.  6.  Hid  them  with  the  stalks  of  flax.  Lit., 
''buried  them  in  the  flax  of  wood."  The  word 
translated  "hid"  is  entirely  different  from  the 
word  so  translated  in  the  fourth  verse.  This 
verb,  taman^  signifies  a  hiding  by  putting  down 
under  something.  On  the  house-top  (the  flat  roof 
of  an  oriental  house)  Rahab  had  piles  of  woody 
flax^  or  flax-stalks,  and  under  these  she  put  the 
two  young  men. 

Ver.  7.  The  men,  i.e.,  the  messengers  of  the 
king. 

The  way  to  Jordan  unto  the  fords.  The  Jordan 
has  several  fording-places  over  against  Jericho,  all 
of  which,  however,  are  impassable  when  the  river  is 
full.  At  this  time  the  river  was  full  (chap.  iii.  15). 
Hence,  we  may  suppose  the  Jericho  people  felt 
tolerably  secure  against  any  immediate  attack  from 
the  Israelites.  The  Arabs  swim  across  the  river ; 
but,  owing  to  the  great  swiftness  of  the  current,  it 
is  not  an  easy  matter.  Swimming  across  for  an 
armed  host  would  be  impossible.  The  river  is 
from  eighty  to  one  hundred  feet  wide  at  this  part. 

They  shut  the  gate.  A  mark  of  time.  (Comp. 
ver.  5.)  The  time  of  gate-shutting  would  naturally 
be  when  day-light  was  entirely  past,  say  at  seven 
o'clock  in  the  evening  at  the  season  indicated  in 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  n.  25 

8  ^  And  before  they  were  laid  down,  she  came  up 
unto  them  upon  the  roof; 

9  And  she  said  unto  the  men,  I  know  that  the  Lord 
hath  given  you  the  land,  and  that  your  terror  is  fallen 
upon  us,  and  that  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  laud  faint 
because  of  you. 

the  narrative.  Rahab  had  represented  the  young 
men  as  leaving  about  gate-shutting  time,  that  is, 
just  before  the  messengers  arrived.  The  messen- 
gers hurry  away,  and  pass  out  the  gate  exactly  at 
gate-shutting.  Jericho  may  have  had  only  one  gate 
(like  Osiout,  the  capital  of  Upper  Egypt,  to-day)  ; 
or  "  the  gate  "  may  mean  the  particular  gate  in 
question,  i.e.^  that  on  the  side  toward  the  Jordan. 

Ver.  8.  Laid  down^  i.e.^  to  sleep,  after  leaving 
their  hiding-place  under  the  flax.  They  would  lie 
down  to  sleep  on  the  flat  roof,  according  to  oriental 
custom. 

Ver.  9.  /  know  that  the  Lord.  Lit.,  "  I  know 
that  Jehovah."  Rahab  here  shows  that  she  had 
watched  the  course  of  God  with  Israel,  and  had 
been  convinced  that  Israel's  God,  Jehovah,  was  the 
only  true  God,  and  had  prepared  her  heart  for  his 
providential  dealings,  which  now  meet  her  in 
mercy.  Her  description  of  the  effect  of  Israel's 
history  upon  the  people  of  Canaan  gives  us  a 
graphic  idea  of  the  consternation  which  the  stu- 
pendous facts  of  Israel's  wilderness  life  had  pro- 
duced upon  surrounding  nations.  The  people  of 
Canaan  especially  were  agitated,  as  they  knew  that 
they  would  be  the  direct  objects  of  attack. 

Faint.  Heb.,  "  melt,"  as  in  Ex.  xv.  15.  So  in 
2 


26  COMMENTARY   ON 

10  For  we  have  heard  how  the  Lord  dried  up  the 
water  of  the  Red  sea  for  you,  when  ye  came  out  of 
Egypt;  and  wliat  ye  did  unto  the  two  kings  of  the 
Amorites  that  were  on  the  other  side  Jordan,  Sihon 
and  Og,  whom  ye  utterly  destroyed. 

11  And  as  soon  as  we  had  heard  these  things,  our 
hearts  did  melt,  neither  did  there  remain  any  more 
courage  in  any  man,  because  of  you:  for  the  Lord 
your  God,  he  is  God  in  heaven  above,  and  in  earth 
beneath. 

12  Now  therefore,  I  pray  you,  swear  unto  me  by  the 
Lord,  since  I  have  shewed  you  kindness,  that  ye  will 
also  shew  kindness  unto  my  father's  house,  and  give 
me  a  true  token: 

13  And  that  ye  will  save  alive  my  father,  and  my 
mother,  and  my  brethren,  and  my  sisters,  and  all  that 
they  have,  and  deliver  our  lives  from  death. 

ver.  24.  Comp.  chap.  vii.  5,  for  the  fuller  expres- 
sion, but  with  another  Hebrew  verb.  It  betokens 
extreme  discouragement. 

Ver.  10.  The  two  events  that  signalized  the 
beginning  and  the  end  of  Israel's  course  from 
Egypt  to  Canaan  are  mentioned  by  Rahab  as 
equally  well  known  to  the  Canaanites.  Doubtless 
all  between  was  also  well  known. 

Ver.  11.  Melt.  A  different  Hebrew  word  from 
that  translated  "faint"  in  ver.  9,  but  having  about, 
the  same  signification. 

Courage,     Lit.,  ''  breath  "  or  "life." 

Fo7'  the  Lord  your  Crod^  he  is  God,  This  is 
not  the  conclusion  the  Canaanites  came  to,  but 
that  to  which  Rahab  came.  She  argued  from  Is- 
rael's guidance  and  from  Canaan's  fear. 

Ver.  12.  Rahab's  request  shows  her  perfect  con- 
fidence in  the  taking  of  Jericho  by  Israel,  and  also 
her  tender  regard  for  her  own  kindred.     Her  faith 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  n.  27 

14:  And  the  men  answered  her.  Our  life  for  yours,  if 
ye  utter  not  this  our  business.  And  it  shall  be,  when 
the-  Loud  hath  given  us  the  land,  that  we  will  deal 
kindly  and  truly  with  thee. 

15  Then  she  let  them  down  by  a  cord  through  the 
window:  for  her  house  was  upon  the  town-wall,  and 
she  dwelt  upon  the  wall. 

IG  And  she  said  unto  them,  Get  you  to  the  moun- 
tain, lest  the  pursuers  meet  you;  and  hide  yourselves 
there  three  days,  until  the  pursuers  be  returned:  and 
afterward  may  ye  go  your  way. 

in  Jehovah  had,  doubtless,  revived  affections  that 
her  course  of  life  may  have  marred. 

A  true  token.  Lit.,  "a  sign  of  truth,"  ^.g.,  a 
promise  under  oath,  which  would  assure  her  of 
its  truth,  and  make  her  confident  of  their  faithful- 
ness. 

Ver.  14.  If  ^e  utter  not  tJiis  our  business.  That 
is,  ''  if  ye  make  not  known  the  object  of  our  visit." 

Deal  kindly  and  truly  with  thee.  Lit.,  "  do  to 
thee  mercy  and  truth ; "  i.e.^  do  thee  the  favor 
asked  and  keep  our  pledge. 

Ver.  15.  This  anticipates  verses  16-21,  for  we 
cannot  suppose  the  conversation  there  given  oc- 
curred while  she  was  at  the  window  and  the  men 
below  on  the  ground. 

Ver.  16.  The  mountain  would  be  Kuruntul  or 
Quarantana,  only  two  miles  away  westward.  This 
mountain  rises  precipitously  from  the  plain,  a  wall 
of  rock,  twelve  hundred  feet  high,  full  of  caverns, 
in  some  one  of  which  the  spies  may  have  hid  them- 
selves. The  mountain  gets  its  present  name  from 
a  late  tradition  that  it  was  the  scene  of  our  Lord's 
forty  days'  fasting. 


28  COMMENTARY  ON 

17  And  the  men  said  unto  her,  We  will  be  blameless 
of  this  thine  oath  ^vhich  thou  hast  made  us  swear. 

18  Behold,  ichen  we  come  into  the  land,  thou  shalt 
bind  this  line  of  scarlet  thread  in  the  window  which 
thou  didst  let  us  down  by:  and  thou  shalt  brinor  thy 
father,  and  thy  mother,  and  thy  brethren,  and  all  thy 
father's  household  home  unto  thee. 

19  And  it  shall  be,  that  whosoever  shall  go  out  of 
the  doors  of  thy  house  into  the  street,  his  blood  shall 
he  upon  his  head,  and  we  will  be  guiltless:  and  who- 
soever shall  be  with  thee  in  the  house,  his  blood  shall 
be  on  our  head,  if  any  hand  be  upon  him. 

20  And  if  thou  utter  this  our  business,  then  we  will 
be  quit  of  thine  oath  which  thou  hast  made  us  to 
swear. 

21  And  she  said.  According  unto  your  words,  so  be 
it.  And  she  sent  them  away,  and  they  departed:  and 
she  bound  the  scarlet  line  in  the  window. 

Three  days.     See  note  on  chap.  i.  11. 

Ver.  17.  They  wish  to  secure  their  own  word 
by  making  the  way  plain  to  its  performance  :  only 
her  remissness  will  prevent  its  accomplishment. 

Ver.  18.  This  line  of  scarlet  thread.  Rather 
"  the  cord  of  this  crimson  thread,"  i.e,^  made  of 
crimson  thread.  Crimson  is  a  color  easily  dis- 
tinguishable at  a  distance,  and  therefore  would  be 
an  appropriate  color  for  the  object  designed.  It 
was  the  very  cord  by  which  she  let  them  down, 
as  we  see  by  the  demonstrative  "  this."  Is  the 
thought,  which  many  have  expressed  here,  too 
strained,  that  this  crimson  cord  of  salvation,  sav- 
ing both  the  spies  and  Rahab's  family,  represented, 
in  this  strangely  typical  history,  the  saving  blood 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  ?  The  analogy  between  this  and 
the  paschal  blood  is  observable. 

Ver.  21.  According  unto  your  words.    She  would 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  n.  29 

22  And  they  went,  and  came  unto  the  mountain, 
and  abode  there  three  days,  until  the  pursuers  were 
returned:  and  the  pursuers  sought  them  throughout  all 
the  way,  but  found  them  not. 

23  •[[  So  the  two  men  returned,  and  descended  from 
the  mountain,  and  passed  over,  and  came  to  Joshua 
the  son  of  Nun,  and  told  him  all  things  that  befell 
them: 

24  And  they  said  unto  Joshua,  Truly  the  Lord 
hath  delivered  into  our  hands  all  the  land;  for  even  all 
the  inhabitants  of  the  country  do  faint  because  of  us. 

bind  the  crimson  cord  in  the  window  on  the  wall, 
visible  to  Israel's  army,  as  it  encamps  before  the 
town  ;  she  would,  moreover,  bring  her  entire  family 
into  the  house,  and  she  would  keep  the  whole  mat- 
ter a  profound  secret. 

Ver.  24.  These  two  spies  act,  as  Caleb  and 
Joshua  had  done  thirty-eight  years  before  (Num. 
xiii.  30,  and  xiv.  6-9).  They  took  no  note  of  Jeri- 
cho's great  walls,  and  of  her  vigilant  king,  but  of 
the  Lord's  preparation  for  Israel's  victory. 


30  CO^VEMENTAKY   ON 


CHAPTER  III. 

rrr.    Joshua's  Ultimate  Preparations  for  Crossing 
Jordan.     (Ver.  1-13.) 

1  And  Joshua  rose  early  in  the  morning;  and  th^y 
removed  from  Shittim,  and  came  to  Jordan,  he  and 
all  the  children  of  Israel,  and  lodged  there  before  they 
passed  over. 

Ver.  1.  Early  in  the  morning  of  the  day  after 
the  spies  returned,  the  ninth  of  Nisan. 

Came  to  Jordan,  The  host  moved  from  its  line 
on  Wady  Hesban  northward  and  westward  to  the 
river  bank  opposite  Jericho.  It  was  a  movement 
of  perhaps  six  miles  for  the  most  distant  man  in 
the  host.  The  entire  day  is  taken  for  tliis  grand 
preparatory  arrangement  of  two  millions  of  people. 
At  the  Jordan  they  remain  in  position,  and  spend 
the  night  on  the  east  side.  The  chronology  of 
these  three  chapters  I  take  to  be  this :  — 

6th  Nisan,  Spies  sent  out. 

7th      ,,        Joshua's  first  command  (chap.  i.  11) 
8th      ,,        Spies  return. 
9th      ,,       Movement  from  Shittim. 
10th      ,,        Crossing. 

By  this  scheme,  the  "three  days"  of  chap.  i.  11, 
would  be  from  the  seventh  to  the  tenth,  and  the 
"  three  days "  of  chap.  iii.  2,  would  be  the  same. 
The  ''three  days"   of  chap.  ii.  16,  22,  would  be 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  ni.  31 

2  And  it  came  to  pass  after  three  days,  that  the  offi- 
cers went  through  the  host; 

3  And  they  commanded  the  people,  saying.  When 
ye  see  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lokd  your  God, 
and  the  priests  the  Levites  bearing  it,  then  ye  shall 
remove  from  your  place,  and  go  after  it. 

from  the  sixth  to  the  eighth,  the  parts  of  three  days 
beuig  in  the  Orient  called  by  the  unqualified 
phrase  ''three  days."  The  spies  would  reach  Jeri- 
cho and  leave  it  on  the  same  day  in  which  they 
left  the  camp  of  Israel. 

Ver.  2.  After  three  days.  (See  preceding  note.) 
The  absence  of  the  article  does  not  (as  Keil  sup- 
poses) preclude  the  reference  to  the  "three  days" 
of  chap.  i.  11.  Comp.  Josh.  vi.  3,  14,  for  a  like 
instance.  So  also  1  Sam.  x.  8,  with  xiii.  8,  and 
Dan.  i.  12, 15. 

Officers.  (See  note  on  chap.  i.  10.)  This  pass- 
ing of  the  officers  through  the  host  (see  note  on 
chap.  i.  11)  takes  place  the  evening  before  the 
crossing,  as  we  see  by  ver.  5,  after  the  arrival  of  the 
host  in  position  before  the  river.  The  orders  given 
through  these  officers  come,  of  course,  from  Joshua. 

Ver.  3.  Arid  they  commanded  the  people.  The 
one  object  of  this  special  order  was,  that  the  host 
should  be  guided  by  the  movement  of  the  ark  of 
the  covenant,  following  it  in  their  regular  column 
at  a  distance  of  about  a  half  mile.  This  ma}^  have 
been  the  distance  usually  observed  in  the  wilder 
ness  encampments  between  the  tents  of  Israel  (ex- 
clusive of  Levi)  and  the  tabernacle,  but  the  passage 
in  Num.  ii.  2,  does  not 'give  us  the  distance,  but 


32  COMMENTARY   ON 

4  Yet  there  shall  he  a  space  hetween  you  and  it, 
ahout  two  thousand  cubits  by  measure:  come  not  near 
unto  it,  that  ye  may  know  the  way  by  which  ye  must 
go;  for  ye  have  not  passed  this  way  heretofore. 

5  And  Joshua  said  unto  the  people,  Sanctify  your- 
selves: for  to-morrow  the  Lokd  will  do  wonders  among 
you. 

only  uses  the  expression,  "  far  off,"  or,  strictly, 
"  over  against."  The  people  had  been  used  to 
follow  the  pillar  of  cloud  as  their  guide  (Ex.  xl. 
36,  and  Num.  ix.  17).  But  now  that  guide  is 
withdrawn,  the  desert  life  being  over.  The  peo- 
ple, therefore,  need  a  special  command  to  regard 
the  ark  borne  by  the  priests  as  their  new  signal  of 
motion. 

The  priests  the  Levites,  (See  Deut.  xvii.  9,  xxiv. 
8,  xxxi.  9,  25,  and  Jer.  xxxiii.  21.)  This  peculiar 
expression  seems  to  emphasize  the  tribal  character 
of  the  priests  as  against  any  attempt  at  leadership 
by  other  tribes. 

Ver.  4.  Two  thousand  cuhits.  (See  preceding 
note.)  This  distance  was  made  not  as  a  mark  of 
reverence  to  the  ark,  but  that  the  ark  might  be 
so  far  advanced  before  the  host  as  to  be  clearly 
seen  by  a  great  number.  This  reason  is  given  in 
the  text,  "  Come  not  near  unto  it,  that  ye  may  know 
the  way  hy  which  ye  must  go.^'* 

Ver.  ^.  Sanctify  yourselves.  After  the  first  proc- 
lamation, carried  through  the  host  by  the  officers, 
that  Israel  should  be  guided  by  the  movements  of 
the  ark,  Joshua  issues  another,  for  Israel  to  sanctify 
itself,  in  readiness  for  a  special  manifestation  of 
divine  power  on  the  next  day.    This  sanctification 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  ni.  33 

6  And  Joshua  spake  unto  the  priests,  saying,  Take 
up  the  ark  of  the  covenant,  and  pass  over  before  the  • 
people.     And  they  took  up  the  aik  of  the  covenant, 
and  went  before  the  people. 

7  ^  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Joshua,  This  day  will 
I  begin  to  magnify  thee  in  the  sight  of  all  Israel,  that 
they  may  know  that  as  I  was  with  Moses,  so  I  will  be 
with  thee. 

8  And  thou  shalt  command  the  priests  that  bear  the 
ark  of  the  covenant,  saying,  When  ye  are  come  to  the 
brink  of  the  water  of  Jordan,  ye  shall  stand  still  in 
Jordan. 

is,  of  course,  a  ritual  sanctification,  such  as  is  so 
constantly  intended  in  the  history  of  the  Jewish 
economy.  (For  examples,  see  Ex.  xix.  10,  22,  23  ; 
Lev.  xxvii.  14,  16 ;  Joel  ii.  16.)  It  consisted  of 
certain  negative  abstinences  and  positive  purifica- 
tory rites,  all  which  were,  indeed,  an  emblem  of 
inward  purity,  but  had  no  necessary  essential  con- 
nection therewith.  These  rites  were  calculated  to 
impress  the  mind  and  prepare  the  thoughts  of 
Israel  for  any  peculiar  display  of  the  divine  glory 
in  their  behalf. 

Ver.  6.  Here  begins  the  record  of  a  new  day, 
the  tenth  of  Nisan.  Joshua  gives  the  order  for  the 
priests  with  the  ark  to  start,  and  adds  (see  ver. 
8),  "  When  ye  come  to  the  brink  of  the  waters  of 
the  Jordan,  ye  shall  stand  still  at  the  Jordan.'* 
Their  standing  still  would  be  the  signal  for  the 
miracle,  although  Joshua  may  as  yet  have  been 
ignorant  of  the  issue. 

Ver.  7,  8.  These  parenthetical  verses  tell  us  of 
a  second  appearance  of  God  to  Joshua,  probably 
during  the  preceding  night.  The  first  appearance 
2*  c 


34  CO]VIMENTARY   ON 


9  ^  And  Joshua  said  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
Come  hither,  and  hear  the  words  of  the  Lord  your 
God. 


had  taken  place  three  days  before,  and  is  recorded 
in  chap.  i.  1-9.  These  appearances  may  have 
been  like  that  recorded  in  chap.  v.  13,  when  God 
assumed  a  human  form,  or  they  may  have  been  in 
dreams.  Indeed,  we  assume  that  they  were  appear- 
ances at  all.  They  may  have  been  nnmistakable 
suggestions  from  within,  or  audible  words,  or  even 
some  form  of  revelation  by  Urim  and  Thummim, 
of  which  we  know  so  little.  Still  the  probabilities 
are  in  favor  of  a  visible  appearance,  from  the  pas- 
sage above  referred  to. 

In  this  interview  God  announces  to  Joshua  that 
he  would  put  him  that  day  on  the  same  high  plane 
of  respect  before  Israel  that  Moses  had  occupied. 
He  was  about  to  perform  a  stupendous  miracle 
before  Israel,  under  Joshua's  guidance,  of  the  same 
character  as  that  at  the  Red  Sea,  which  had  so 
manifested  both  the  glory  of  God  and  the  head- 
ship of  Moses  over  the  people.  The  crossing  of 
the  Red  Sea  was  to  be  renewed  in  the  crossing 
of  the  Jordan.  As  yet  probably  both  Joshua  and 
the  people  supposed  they  would  cross  Jordan  by 
fording. 

Ver.  9.  When  the  priests  had  started  with  the 
ark,  to  move  at  least  a  half  mile  before  Israel 
should  follow,  Joshua  calls  the  "children  of  Is- 
rael "  together ;  that  is,  he  summons  their  officers 
and  representatives. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.    III.  35 

10  And  Joshua  said,  Hereby  ye  shall  know  that  the 
living  God  is  among  you,  and  that  he  will  without  fail 
drive  out  from  before  you  the  Canaanites,  and  tlie  Hit- 
tites,  and  the  Ilivites,  and  the  Perizzites,  and  the  Gir- 
gashites,  and  the  Amorites,  and  the  Jebusites. 

11  Behold,  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  of 
all  the  earth  passeth  over  before  you  into  Jordan. 

12  Now  therefore  take  you  twelve  men  out  of  the 
tribes  of  Israel,  out  of  every  tribe  a  man. 

13  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  as  soon  as  the  soles  of 
the  feet  of  the  priests  that  bear  the  ark  of  the  Lord, 
the  Lord  of  all  the  earth,  shall  rest  in  the  waters  of 
Jordan,  that  the  waters  of  Jordan  shall  be  cut  off  from 
the  waters  that  come  down  from  above;  and  they  shall 
stand  upon  an  heap. 

Ver.  10-13.  A  grand  evidence  of  God's  guid- 
ing presence  was  to  be  given  them,  as  Avas  given 
their  fathers  at  the  Red  Sea.  As  they  had  prob- 
ably seen  the  pillar  of  cloud  depart  from  them, 
such  a  new  sign  was  very  important  to  sustain 
their  faith.  He  points  them  to  the  ark  already 
on  its  way  ("passeth  over  "  =  "is  now  passing 
over"  before  you  to  Jordan),  and  bids  them  select 
twelve  men  to  represent  the  twelve  tribes,  for  a 
purpose  afterward  to  be  disclosed.  He  further 
tells  them  that,  when  the  priests'  feet  touch  the 
water  that  has  overflowed  on  the  lowest  bank, 
the  water  of  the  river  shall  on  one  hand  stand 
up  as  a  hill,  and  the  water  on  the  other  hand 
shall  run  off  to  the  Dead  Sea  and  disappear,  thus 
leaving  a  dry  bed  of  at  least  four  miles  in  the 
river's   length. 

Ver.  10.  The  living  God.  One  who  is  active 
in  all  the  works  of  nature  and  grace  ;  one  who  is 
not  dead,  like  the  idols  of  the  heathen,  or,  we  may 


36  COMMENTAKY  ON 

add,  like  the  abstractions  of  the  philosophers  and 
WiQ  forces  of  the  scientists. 

Canaanites,  &c.  The  Canaanites  are  first  men- 
tioned, and  the  land  is  called  the  land  of  Canaan, 
because  this  special  tribe  bore  the  old  ancestral 
name.  We  find  from  Gen.  x.  15,  that  from  Ca- 
naan, Ham's  son,  eleven  nations  had  their  origin : 
the  Sidonians,  Hittites,  Jebusites,  Amorites,  Gir- 
gashites,  Hivites,  Arkites,  Sinites,  Arvadites,  Ze- 
marites,  and  Hamathites.  Six  of  these  do  not 
appear  (by  name)  in  Israel's  Canaan  ;  to  wit,  the 
Sidonians,  Arkites,  Sinites,  Arvadites,  Zemarites, 
and  Hamathites.  The  other  five  we  find  as  in  this 
list  in  our  text ;  to  wit,  the  Hittites,  Jebusites, 
Amorites,  Girgashites,  and  Hivites.  The  Canaanites 
(as  a  distinct  tribe)  may  have  been  a  mixed  tribe, 
taking  the  ancestral  name.  The  only  tribe  of  this 
list  not  found  in  the  tenth  of  Genesis  is  the  "  Per- 
izzites."  These  ma^  be  the  same  as  the  Zemarites, 
as  we  find  a  city  called  Zemaraim  in  Benjamin 
(Josh,  xviii.  22),  and  a  Mount  Zemaraim,  probably 
in  the  same  vicinity  (2  Chron.  xiii.  4).  We  also 
find  that  the  Perizzites  occupied  this  portion  of 
Palestine  (Josh.  xvii.  15 ;  Judg.  i.  4,  5). 

From  Gen.  xv.  19,  20,  we  see  that  four  other 
tribes  occupied,  with  these  Canaanitish  tribes,  the 
region  between  Egypt  and  the  Euphrates ;  to  wit, 
the  Kenites,  Kenizzites,  Kadmonites,  and  Pephaim, 
who  may  have  been  Ham's  descendants  by  another 
son  than  Canaan,  or  may  have  been  of  an  entirely 
different  stock,  Turanian  for  example.     Of  all  these 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  in.  37 

14  ^  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  people  removed 
from  their  tents  to  pass  over  Jordan,  and  the  priests 
bearing  the  ark  of  the  covenant  before  the  people; 

15  And  as  they  that  bear  the  ark  were  come  unto 
Jordan,  and  the  feet  of  the  priests  that  bare  the  ark 
were  dipped  in  the  brim  of  the  water,  (for  Jordan  over- 
floweth  all  his  banks  all  the  time  of  harvest,) 

tribes  the  Hittites  seem  to  have  waxed  largest  and 
strongest,  and  to  have  extended  farthest  northward 
and  eastward.     (See  note  on  chap.  i.  4.) 

The  miraculous  crossing  of  the  Jordan  was  to  be 
God's  pledge  to  the  Israelites  that  they  should 
overcome  the  seven  nations. 

Ver.  13.  Shall  he  cut  off.  Read  this  whole  pas- 
sage thus  :  "  The  waters  of  the  Jordan  shall  be  cut 
off,  namely,  the  waters  running  down  from  above, 
and  they  (i.e.^  the  portion  from  which  these  are 
cut  off')  shall  stand  up  one  heap."  (Comp.  Ex. 
XV.  8.) 


IV.     The  Crossing.     (Ver.  14 — chap.  v.  1.) 

Ver.  14.  The  actual  movement  of  the  whole 
host  here  begins. 

Ver.  15.  Jordan  overfloivetJi.  The  Jordan  has, 
at  this  part  of  its  course,  three  distinct  banks. 
Upon  the  first  or  lowest  grows  a  dense  thicket  of 
bushes  and  trees  ;  on  the  second  is  but  little  growth 
of  any  kind,  and  on  the  third  is  the  desert  of  the 
Arabah.  The  first  bank  is  but  a  few  inches  above 
the  water.  The  second  bank  is  about  six  feet  high. 
The  third  bank  is  fifty  feet  high.     The  river  is 


38  COMMENTARY   ON 

nearly  a  hundred  feet  wide,  and  about  twelve  feet 
deep.  The  following  outline  will  help  the  reader 
understand  this  description. 


V 


lA 4J 


The  outer  banks  are  half  a  mile  apart.  Here 
the  proportion  in  the  outline  fails.  It  will  be  at 
once  seen  by  this  outline  that  the  entrance  of  the 
ark  into  the  river  could  not  be  seen  by  Israel,  for 
the  high  banks  would  prevent  a  view.  They  could 
only,  as  they  approached  the  margin,  see  the  water 
gone  from  the  river-bed,  and  the  ark  standing  in 
the  middle. 

The  words  translated  "  overfloweth  "  mean  *'  fill- 
eth  upon,"  and  refer  to  the  complete  filling  up  of 
the  river's  bed,  so  tliat  the  water  would  appear  upon 
the  level  which  we  have  designated  by  the  words 
"  green  thicket."  No  greater  overflow  of  the  Jor- 
dan than  this  is  known.  But  this  overflow  *  of  the 
lower  level  occurs  every  year  in  April  and  May. 

*  Tlie  "  swelling  of  Jordan  "  mentioned  in  Jer.  xii.  5,  xlix.  19, 
1.  44,  is  the  same  as  "  the  pride  of  Jordan  "  in  Zech.  xi.  3,  and 
refers  not  to  the  waters  overflowing,  but  to  the  rich  green  thicket 
and  foliage  of  the  river  banks. 


JOSHUA,    CHAP.   III.  39 

16  That  the  waters  which  came  down  from  above 
stood  and  rose  up  upon  an  heap  very  far  from  the  city 
Adam,  that  is  beside  Zaretan;  and  those  that  came 
down  toward  the  sea  of  the  plain,  even  the  salt  sea, 
failed,  and  were  cut  off:  and  the  people  passed  over 
right  against  Jericho. 

Ver.  16.  Very  far  from  the  city  Adam.  This 
should  read,  "  very  far  off  at  the  city  Adam  ; "  that 
is,  very  far  from  the  crossing-place.  Of  the  city 
Adam  we  know  nothing,  but  Zaretan  (or  Zere- 
dathah,  2  Chron.  iv.  17)  is  accurately  described  in 
1  K.  iv.  12,  as  near  Beth-shean  and  "  under 
Jezreel."  This  must  fix  its  position  as  far  north 
as  the  Wady  Mujeidah,  which  is  forty-four  miles 
north  in  a  straight  line  from  the  place  of  crossing, 
and  twice  that  distance  by  the  windings  of  the 
river.  Van  de  Velde's  position  at  Kurn  Sartabeh 
is  entirely  too  far  south.  We  must  suppose  that  it 
took  the  host  at  least  four  hours  to  cross.  As  the 
Jordan  runs  with  a  current  of  six  miles  an  hour, 
and  is  between  ten  and  twelve  feet  deep,  and  as 
the  spot  where  Wady-Mujeidah  enters  the  Jordan 
is  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet  higher  level  than  the 
crossing-place,  a  stoppage  of  the  Jordan's  flow  at 
the  crossing-place  that  would  reach  in  its  effects 
the  Wady-I\Iujeidah  would  only  in  the  space  of 
four  hours  make  the  river  three  feet  deeper  for  the 
distance  between  the  two  extremities  of  the  dis- 
turbance. Thus  the  wall  of  water  on  the  north 
side  of  the  crossing  host  would  be,  when  at  its 
greatest,  but  fifteen  feet  high. 


40  COMMENTAKY   ON 

17  And  the  priests  that  bare  the  ark  of  the  covenant 
of  the  Loud  stood  firm  on  dry  ground  in  the  midst 
of  Jordan,  and  all  the  Israelites  passed  over  on  dry 
ground,  until  all  the  people  were  passed  clean  over 
Jordan. 

Ver.  17.  (Comp.  chap.  iv.  10.)  The  ark  seems 
to  have  taken  its  station  close  by  the  wall  of  water 
and  in  the  middle  of  the  river-bed,  while  the  host 
of  Israel  passed  over  below,  their  right  wing  being 
two  thousand  cubits  from  the  ark  (ver.  4).  The 
twelve  men  chosen  from  the  tribes  (ver.  12)  would 
naturally  remain  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
ark,  awaiting  their  special  orders. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   IV.  41 


CHAPTER  IV. 

« 

1  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  all  the  people  were 
clean  passed  over  Jordan,  that  the  Lord  spake  unto 
Joshua,  saying, 

2  Take  you  twelve  men  out  of  the  people,  out  of 
every  tribe  a  man, 

Ver.  1.  When  all  the  people  were  clean  passed 
over  Jordan,  In  the  Hebrew  style,  this  protasis  or 
preface,  while  only  belonging  to  ver.  5  and  the 
following  verses,  is  placed  before  the  statement  of 
ver.  1-3.  It  is  idiomatic.  We  should  say,  after 
these  words, ''  the  Lord  having  spoken  unto  Joshua," 
&c.,  parenthetically,  but  the  Hebrew  uses  the  finite 
verb  without  parenthesis,  '*  that  the  Lord  spake^^^ 
&c.,-  although  this  command  of  God  to  Joshua 
must  have  been  given  before  Joshua's  command  to 
Israel  in  ver.  12  of  the  third  chapter,  and  was 
probably  part  of  the  orders  given  in  the  divine 
interview  recorded  in  chap.  iii.  7,  8.  It  may  be 
that  some  token  was  given  to  Joshua  at  the  time 
for  the  accomplishment  of  this  act,  and  that  thus 
the  command  was  virtually  repeated.  Such  a  sup- 
position would  account  for  the  words  "  hence  "  and 
'•  where  the  priests'  feet  stood,''  instead  of  ''  thence  " 
and  "'  where  the  priests'  feet  shall  stand,"  as  the 
phrases  would  be  if  the  command  had  been  given 
only  before  the  miracle. 


42  COMMENTARY  ON 

3  And  command  ye  them,  saying,  Take  you  hence 
out  of  the  midst  of  Jordan,  out  of  tlie  place  where 
the  priests'  feet  stood  firm,  twelve  stones,  and  ye  shall 
carry  them  over  with  you,  and  leave  them  in  the  lodg- 
ing-place where  ye  shall  lodge  this  night. 

4  Then  Joshua  called  the  twelve  men,  whom  he  had 
prepared  of  the  children  of  Israel,  out  of  every  tribe  a 
man  : 

5  And  Joshua  said  unto  them.  Pass  over  before  the 
ark  of  the  Lord  your  God  into  the  midst  of  Jordan, 
and  take  you  up  every  man  of  you  a  stone  upon  his 
shoulder,  according  unto  the  number  of  the  tribes  of  the 
children  of  Israel: 

6  That  this  may  be  a  sign  among  you,  thai  when 
your  cljildren  ask  their  fathen-.s  in  time  to  come,  saymg, 
What  mean  ye  by  these  stones? 

7  Then  ye  shall  answer  them.  That  the  waters  of 
Jordan  were  cut  off  before  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of 
the  Loud;  when  it  passed  over  Jordan,  the  waters 
of  Jordan  were  cut  of£:  and  these  stones  shall  be  for  a 
memorial  unto  the  children  of  Israel  for  ever. 

Ver.  3.  Twelve  stones.  These  were  only  of  such 
size  as  that  one  man  could  carry  each  several  miles. 
A  rude  and  small  monument  was  to  be  made  of 
them. 

Ver.  4.  Now  the  twelve  men  are  to  know  why 
the}^  were  selected.  (Comp.  chap.  iii.  12.)  They 
had  probably  waited  on  the  east  bank  till  now. 

Ver.  5.  Before  the  ark,  i.e.,  to  the  front  of  the 
ark,  now  standing  at  the  base  of  the  watery  wall. 

Ver.  6.  A  sign  among  you.  A  memorial  to  be 
preserved  in  their  new  country,  by  which  coming 
generations  should  be  reminded  of  God's  miracu- 
lous care  and  guidance  of  the  people. 

In  time  to  come.     Lit.,  "  to-morrow." 

Ver.  7.  These  stones  shall  be  for  a  memorial. 
The  Oriental  custom  of  throwing  ujd  a  pile  of  stones 


JOSHIJA,   CHAP.   IV.  43 

8  And  the  children  of  Israel  did  so  as  Joshua  com- 
manded, and  took  up  twelve  stones  out  of  tlie  midst  of 
Jordan,  as  the  Loud  spake  unto  Joshua,  according  to 
the  number  of  the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel,  and 
carried  them  over  with  them  unto  the  place  where  they 
lodged,  and  laid  them  down  there. 

(or  erecting  one  large  stone,  as  the  case  may  be) 
in  commemoration  of  some  important  event  still 
prevails,  as  any  traveller  in  the  East  has  had  abun- 
dant opportuni*;v  to  learn.  The  Scotch  "  cairn  "  is 
of  like  character,  although  generally  marking  a 
sepulchre  rather  than  an  event.  For  Bible  in- 
stances like  the  one  in  our  present  passage,  see 
Gen.  xxviii.  18,  xxxi.  46-48,  xxxv.  14 ;  Josh, 
xxiv.  26 ;  1  Sam.  vii.  12.  These  stones,  thus 
reared  or  piled,  were  counted  sacred  by  the  people 
of  a  land.  A  reference  to  this  fact  seems  to  be 
had  in  Isa.  viii.  14. 

Ver.  8.  The  ii>lace  where  they  lodged.  We  see 
from  ver.  19  that  this  was  Gilgal.  Gilgal  means 
a  "  rolling ; "  and  we  are  told  that  this  place  re- 
ceived its  name  because  the  reproach  of  the  new 
generation  of  Israel,  that  they  were  uncircumcised, 
was  here  rolled  away.  (See  chap.  v.  2-9.)  There 
was  another  Gilgal  six  miles  north  of  Bethel,  con- 
nected with  the  lives  of  Elijah  and  Elisha  (2  Kings 
ii.  2).  From  the  frequent  appearance  of  Jiljilieh 
(the  mod.  equivalent)  in  the  modern  topograph}^ 
of  Palestine,  we  may  see  that  there  were  several 
towns  of  the  name  of  Gilgal,  the  name  in  these 
other  instances  referring  to  the  rolling  character  of 
the  ground.     The  places  mentioned  in  Deut.  xi. 


44  COMMENTARY  ON 


9  And  Joshua  set  up  twelve  stones  in  the  midst  of 
Jordan,  in  the  place  where  the  feet  of  the  priests  which 
bare  the  ark  of  the  covenant  stood:  and  they  are  there 
unto  this  day. 


80,  and  in  Josh.  xii.  23,  xv.  T,  are  some  of  these. 
Josephus  puts  the  Gilgal  of  this  narrative  six 
miles  from  the  Jordan  and  one  from  Jericho.  Later 
writers  have  put  it  two,  five,  and  seven  miles  from 
Jericho.  It  is  highly  probable  that  it  was  directly 
en  route  between  the  crossing-place  of  Jordan  and 
Jericho,  but  whether  nearer  to  the  one  or  the  other 
we  have  no  date  to  decide.  It  was  probably  on 
the  line  of  Wady  Kelt. 

Ver.  9.  Set  up  twelve  stones  in  the  midst  of  Jor- 
dan. Why  were  these  set  up  where  the  water  of 
the  river  would  cover  them  ?  For  with  the  words, 
"the  midst  of  Jordan,"  as  repeated  seven  times 
(chap.  iii.  17,  iv.  3,  5,  8,  9,  10,  18),  we  can- 
not believe  the  priests'  place  of  standing  with 
the  ark  was  where  they  first  touched  the  river 
(chap.  iii.  18),  as  Keil  alleges.  The  Heb.,  bethok, 
means  "in  the  middle,"  and  cannot  refer  to  one 
side  or  bank  of  the  river.  Why,  then,  were  these 
stones  set  up  where  the  river  would  cover  them  ? 
They  could  scarcely  have  formed  a  monument  high 
enough  to  overtop  the  twelve  feet  of  water  in  the 
mid-channel,  and  so  to  be  seen  by  those  on  the 
bank.  They  were  hastily  brought  together,  and 
probably  formed,  like  those  in  Gilgal,  a  mere  cairn. 
As  they,  therefore,  could  not  be  intended  to  re- 
mind the  passing  generations  of  the  crossing,  may 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  rv.  45 

10  ^  For  the  priests  which  bare  the  ark  stood  in  the 
midst  of  Jordan,  until  every  thing  was  finished  that 
the  Lord  commanded  Joshua  to  speak  unto  the  people, 
according  to  all  that  Moses  commanded  Joshua:  and 
the  people  hasted  and  passed  over. 

11  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  all  the  people  were 

we  not  believe  that  their  use  is  yet  in  the  future, 
and  that  they  may  yet  be  laid  bare  as  testimony  to 
the  minute  accuracy  of  this  Old  Testament  history? 
Have  not  Nineveh,  Babylon,  and  their  sister-cities 
been  made  by  God's  providence  to  do  this  same 
work? 

They  are  there  unto  this  day^  Le.^  the  day  of  the 
writing.  (Comp.  Judg.  i.  26.)  There  is  no  proof 
in  the  phrase,  that  it  was  well  known  at  the  day  of 
writing.  From  chap.  vi.  25,  we  may  consider 
^'this  day"  as  not  more  than  fifty  years  after  the 
occurrence,  perhaps  much  earlier. 

Ver.  10.  According  to  all  that  Moses  commanded 
Joshua.  We  are  nowhere  told  that  Moses  gave 
any  commands  to  Joshua  regarding  the  details  of 
the  crossing  of  Jordan.  The  phrase  refers  to  the 
general  submission  of  Joshua  to  the  divine  direc- 
tion, and  of  the  people  to  Joshua,  in  accordance 
with  the  command  of  Moses  (Deut.  xxxi.  3,  7). 

Hasted.  The  movement  was  a  rapid  one.  God's 
miraculous  works  are  connected  with  the  rational 
use  of  man's  faculties.  The  people  were  not  to 
abuse  God's  favor  by  carelessness  or  delay.  Their 
celerity  of  movement  was  a  token  of  their  co-oper- 
ation with  God's  favor,  in  the  great  work  before 
them. 


46  COMMENTARY  ON 

clean  passed  over,  that  the  ark  of  the  Lord  passed 
over,  and  the  priests  in  the  presence  of  the  people. 

12  And  the  children  of  lleuben,  and  the  children 
of  Gad,  and  half  the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  passed  over 
armed  before  the  children  of  Israel,  as  Moses  spake 
unto  them: 

13  About  forty  thousand  prepared  for  war,  passed 
over  before  the  Lord  unto  battle,  to  the  plains  of 
Jericho. 

14  ^  On  that  day  the  Lord  magnified  Joshua  in  the 
sight  of  all  Israel,  and  they  feared  him  as  they  feared 
Moses,  all  the  days  of  his  life. 

15  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Joshua,  saying, 

16  Command  the  priests  that  bear  the  ark  of  the 
testimony, that  they  come  up  out  of  Jordan. 

17  Joshua  therefore  commanded  the  priests,  saying, 
Come  ye  up  out  of  Jordan. 

Ver.  12,  13.  PareDthetic  verses.  (See  notes 
on  chap.  i.  13,  14.) 

Prepared  for  war.  Rather,  "  selected  troops." 
(Comp.  vi.  7.) 

Ver.  14.     See  on  chap.  iii.  7. 

Ver.  15-17.  A  special  signal,  such  as  we  sup- 
posed at  ver.  2,  is  given  b}^  God  for  Joshua  to 
command  the  end  of  the  miracle  by  the  exit  of  the 
ark  from  the  river's  bed.  It  is  not  necessary  to 
suppose  a  new  appearance  of  God,  or  a  vision,  on 
each  occasion  when  the  phrase  is  used,  "  the  Lord 
spake  unto  Joshua." 

Ver.  16.  Arh  of  the  testimony.  In  chap.  iii.  3, 
11,  17,  iv.  7,  18,  the  ark  is  called  the  ark  of 
the  covenant  of  Jehovah^  or  the  ark  of  the  covenant 
of  the  Lord  (^Adon').  In  chap.  iii.  6,  8,  14,  iv.  9, 
it  is  called  simply  the  ark  of  the  covenant.  In 
chap.  iii.  13,  iv.  5,  11,  it  is  called  simply  the  ark 
of  Jehovah.     Here  it  is  called  the  ark  of  the  testi- 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   IV.  47 

18  And  it  came  to  pass,  •^,^^hen  the  priests  that  bare 
the  ariv  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord,  were  come  up  out 
of  the  midst  of  Jordan,  and  tlie  soies  of  the  priests' 
feet  were  hfted  up  unto  the  dry  kind,  that  the  waters 
of  Jordan  returned  unto  their  place,  and  flowed  over 
all  his  banks,  as  they  did  before. 

many.  In  Exodus,  Leviticus,  and  Numbers,  it 
is  generally  styled  "the  ark  of  the  testimony.''  It 
is  the  name  first  given  to  it  (see  Ex.  xxv.  16, 
21,  22),  as  containing  the  "testimony,"  or  "two 
tables  of  testimony"  (Ex.  xxxi.  18),  written  with 
the  finger  of  God.  In  Deuteronomy,  the  usage 
appears  to  call  it  "the  ark  of  the  covenant^''  as 
carrying  the  testimony  on  which  God's  covenant 
with  his  people  was  based.  This  covenant  was 
with  God,  as  against  any  covenant  w^ith  the  Ca- 
naanites.  (See  Ex.  xxxiv.  10-15,  and  compare 
with  ver.  27-29  of  the  same  chapter.)  In  Deuter- 
onomy, when  Moses  addresses  the  people  on  ap- 
proaching Canaan,  it  is  natural  to  emphasize  the 
covenant.,  and  this  is  followed  in  Joshua.  Only  in 
this  instance  in  Joshua  is  the  ark  called  by  its  old 
title  of  "ark  of  the  testimony."  The  ark  was,  as 
it  were,  the  holy  chest  containing  Israel's  title-deed 
to  Canaan,  with  the  conditions  annexed.  It  was 
the  testimony  of  a  covenant  with  God.  (Comp. 
Josh.  i.  7,  8.) 

Ver.  18.  Lifted  up.  The  word  is  translated 
"rooted  out,"  in  Job  xviii.  14.  It  means,  "to  be 
torn  or  dragged  away  with  difficulty,"  and  here 
refers  to  the  drawing  of  the  feet  out  of  the  muddy 
bottom  and  sides  of  the  river-bed.     The  river-bed 


48  COMIMENTARY   ON 

19  Tf  And  the  people  came  up  out  of  Jordan  on  the 
tenth  daij  of  the  first  month,  and  encamped  m  Gilgal, 
in  the  east  border  of  Jericho. 

20  And  those  twelve  stones  which  they  took  out  of 
Jordan,  did  Joshua  pitch  in  Gilgal. 

21  And  he  spake  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying, 
When  your  children  shall  ask  their  fathers  in  time  to 
come,  saying.  What  ynean  these  stones? 

22  Then  ye  shall  let  your  children  know,  saying, 
Israel  came  over  this  Jordan  on  dry  land. 

23  For  the  Loud  your  God  dried  up  the  waters  of 
Jordan  from  before  you,  until  ye  were  passed  over,  as 
the  Lord  your  God  did  to  the  Red  sea,  which  he  dried 
up  from  before  us,  until  we  were  gone  over: 

24  That  all  the  people  of  the  earth  might  know  the 
hand  of  the  Lord,  that  it  is  mighty:  that  ye  might 
fear  the  Lord  your  God  for  ever. 

had  been  made  dry,  only  so  far  as  that  no  running 
water  flowed  through  it,  but  God  had  not  carried 
the  miracle  so  far  as  to  turn  the  mud  into  arid  soil. 
The  "  economy  of  miracles,"  as  it  is  called,  is  to  be 
seen  in  this. 

Ver.  19.  Tenth  day.  The  day  for  setting  apart 
the  paschal  lamb  (Ex.  xii.  3). 

Gilgal.     See  note  on  ver.  8. 

In  the  east  border  of  Jericho,  i.e.,  at  the  eastern 
edge  of  the  territory  under  the  sway  of  the  King 
of  Jericho.  This  would  lead  us  to  suppose  that 
Gilgal  was  very  near  the  Jordan. 

Ver.  20-24.     See  note  on  ver.  7. 
.  Pitch.     Rather,  "  set  up." 

Ver.  24.  God  intended  that  the  miraculous  cross- 
ing of  the  Jordan  should  show  the  people  of  the 
land  that  Jehovah  (and  not  men)  was  dealing  with 
them,  and  should  beget  in  Israel  a  deep  reverence 
for  their  God,  and  a  fear  of  disobeying  his  will. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   V.  49 


CHAPTER  V. 

1  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  all  the  kings  of  the 
Amorites  which  luere  on  the  side  of  Jordan  westward, 
and  all  the  kings  of  the  Canaanites,  which  ivere  by  the 
sea,  heard  that  the  Lokd  had  dried  up  the  waters  of 
Jordan  from  before  the  children  of  Israel,  until  we  were 
passed  over,  that  their  heart  melted ;  neither  was  there 
spirit  in  them  any  more,  because  of  the  children  of 
Israel. 

Yer.  1.  Amorites.  The  Amorites  were  probably 
the  largest  Canaanitish  tribe  in  this  portion  of  the 
lands  of  the  children  of  Canaan,  as  the  Hittites 
were  the  largest  in  the  region  of  Lebanon  and  the 
Euphrates.  Hence  they  are  here  spoken  of  as  rep- 
resenting in  general  the  tribes  in  the  mountain- 
region.  The  name  "  Canaanites  "  is  also  used  here 
in  like  manner  for  all  the  tribes  along  the  Mediter- 
ranean Sea,  on  the  low  plains.  The  other  four 
tribes  —  the  Hivites,  PerizZites,  Girgashites,  and 
Jebusites  —  were  of  inferior  importance  ;  and  the 
Hittites  in  Palestine  proper  were  but  few  in  number. 
It  will  be  remembered  that  Sihon's  kingdom  on  the 
east  of  Jordan,  conquered  by  Israel,  was  an  Amor- 
itish  kingdom  (Num.  xxi.  21-31.) 

Melted.     As  in  chap.  ii.  11. 

Spirit.  Lit.,  "breath."  The  melting  of  the  heart 
and  the  stopping  of  the  breath  are  most  strong  and 
natural  expressions  for  utter  despair. 


60  COMMENTARY   ON 


V.  Preparations  for  the  Conquest.     (Ver.  2  to 
chap,  vii.) 

1.   Circumcision  and  Passover. 

2  ^  At  that  time  the  Lord  said  unto  Joshua,  Make 
thee  sharp  knives,  and  circumcise  again  the  children  of 
Israel  the  second  time. 

Ver.  2.  The  Lord's  words  here,  and  in  ver.  9, 
may  have  been  given  to  Joshua  at  one  revelation 
after  crossing  the  Jordan,  the  words  in  ver.  9 
being  proleptic. 

Sharp  knives.  In  Ps.  Ixxxix.  43,  "  tsur  cherev  " 
means  "  edge  of  the  sword."  Hence  our  trans- 
lators have  translated  the  phrase  here  "  charvoth 
tsurim,"  ''swords  of  edges,"  or  "sharp  knives." 
But  it  is  better,  with  our  margin,  to  take  "  tsur- 
im "  in  its  ordinary  meaning  of  '*  stone  "  or  "  rock," 
and  translate  the  words  by  "  knives  of  stone."  So 
the  Septuagint  has  it.  And  in  Herodotus  (ii.  86), 
we  see  that  the  ancients  used  stone  knives  for  such 
purposes.     (Comp.  Ex.  iv.  25.) 

Circumcise  again  the-  children  of  Israel  the  see* 
ond  time.  They  were  all  circumcised  who  came 
out  of  Egypt,  but  there  had  been  no  circumcis- 
ing since.  The  "second  time"  only  means  that 
once  they  had  been  a  circumcised  people.  It  does 
not  mean  that  this  was  a  second  general  circum- 
cision. For  this  Hebrew  usa  of  the  phrase,  "  sec- 
ond time,"  see  Isa.  xi.  11,  where  it  refers  to  the 
first  recovery  of  a  people  once  before  in  their  own 
land. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   V.  51 

3  And  Joshua  made  him  sharp  knives,  and  circum- 
cised the  children  of  Israel  at  the  hill  of  the  foreskins. 

4  And  this  is  the  cause  why  Joshua  did  circumcise: 
All  the  people  that  came  out  of  Egypt,  that  ivere  males, 
even  all  the  men  of  war  died  in  the  wilderness  by  the 
way,  after  they  came  out  of  Egypt. 

^  5  Now  all  the  people  that  came  out  were  circum- 
cised; but  all  the  people  that  were  born  in  the  wilder- 
ness by  the  way  as  they  came  forth  out  of  Egypt,  the7n 
they  had  not  circumcised. 

6  For  the  children  of  Israel  walked  forty  years  in 
the  wilderness,  till  all  the  people  that  were  men  of  war 
w^hich  came  out  of  Egypt  were  consumed,  because  they 
obeyed  not  the  voice  of  the  Lord:  unto  whom  the 
Lord  sware  that  he  would  not  shew  them  the  land 
which  the  Lord  sware  unto  their  fathers  that  he  would 
give  us,  a  land  that  floweth  with  milk  and  honey. 

7  And  their  children,  tvho7n  he  raised  up  in  their 
stead,  them  Joshua  circumcised:  for  they  were  uncir- 
cumcised,  because  they  had  not  circumcised  them  by 
the  way. 

Yer.  3.  mil  of  the  foreskins.  Heb.,  "  Gibrah 
haaraloth."  Identical  with  Gilgal,  as  we  see  by 
ver.  9. 

Ver.  4-7.  The  fact  is  stated  here,  that  no  child 
was  circumcised  in  the  desert,  but  the  reason  is  not 
stated.  Some  deny  the  fact,  and  say  the  word 
"all "in  ver.  5  must  not  be  pressed,  that  it  was 
only  all  who  were  horn  after  the  sinful  unbelief  and 
rebellion^  for  which  God  made  them  dwell  thirty- 
eight  years  longer  in  the  desert,  and  hence  that 
the  lack  of  circumcision  was  part  of  the  frown  of 
God.  But  this  seems  very  forced.  We  should 
have  expected  some  allusion  to  it  in  the  narrative, 
had  this  been  the  case.  We,  therefore,  take  the 
fact  literally,  and  consider  the  ordinary  reason  sup- 
posed a  good  one,  that  the  unsettled  style  of  life 


52  COMMEKTARY   ON 

8  And  it  came  to  pass  when  tliey  had  done  circum- 
cismg  all  the  people,  that  they  abode  in  their  places  in 
the  camp,  till  they  were  whole. 

9  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Joshua,  This  day  have 
I  rolled  away  the  reproach  of  Egypt  from  off  you  : 
Wherefore  the  name  of  the  place  is  called  Gilgal  unto 
this  day. 

10  ^"  And  the  children  of  Israel  encamped  in  Gilgal, 
and  kept  the  passover  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  the 
month  at  even,  in  the  plains  of  Jericho. 

in  the  desert  exempted  them,  by  some  special  per- 
mission of  God  not  recorded. 

Ver.  8.  All  the  people,  i.e.,  who  needed  circum- 
cision. Those  men  who  had  left  Egypt  under 
twenty  years  of  age,  and  who  were  now  over  forty, 
had  been  circumcised  in  Egypt.  And  we  may  esti- 
mate these  at  three  hundred  thousand,  an  ample 
force  to  defend  the  camp  while  the  rest  were  dis- 
abled, and  to  perform  the  rite.  So  there  was  no 
remarkable  exposure  to  the  enemy,  as  many  have 
supposed. 

Ver.  9.  The  y^eproach  of  Egypt.  That  is,  the 
reproach  which  Egypt  cast  upon  Israel  (as  in  Ex. 
xiv.  3),  that  they  were  entrapped  in  the  desert. 
(Comp.  Ex.  xxxii.  12  ;  Num.  xiv.  13  ;  Deut.  ix.  28  ; 
also  Zeph.  ii.  8.)  The  reproach  was  rolled  away  by 
their  entry  upon  the  promised  land  and  celebrating 
the  covenant,  now  fulfilled  in  its  first  instalment, 
by  the  adoption  of  its  mark. 

Ver.  10.  On  the  fourteenth  day  of  the  month. 
Three  days  after  the  circumcision,  the  passover  is 
kept,  a  second  solemn  acknowledgment  and  con- 
firmation of  the  covenant,  whose  glorious  issues 
they  were  now  beginning  to  enjoy. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   Y.  SJ* 

11  And  they  did  eat  of  the  old  corn  of  the  land  on 
the  morrow  after  the  passover,  unleavened  cakes  and 
parched  corn  in  the  self -same  day. 

12  T[  And  the  manna  ceased  on  the  morrow  after 
they  had  eaten  of  the  old  corn  of  the  land;  neither  had 
the  children  of  Israel  manna  any  more ;  but  they  did 
eat  of  the  fruit  of  the  land  of  Canaan  that  year. 

13  ^  And  it  came  to  pass  when  Joshua  was  by  Jeri- 
cho, that  he  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  looked,  and  behold, 
there  stood  a  man  over  again?t  him  with  his  sword 
drawn  in  his  hand:  and  Joshua  went  unto  him,  and 
said  unto  him,  Arti\iQ\i  for  us,  or  for  our  adversaries? 

Ver.  11.  The  country  in  which  they  encamped 
at  Gilgal  is  arid  and  barren.  So  it  is  not  till  they 
had  been  there  five  days  that  they  obtained  some  of 
thQ  produce  of  the  land,  perhaps  by  a  foraging  raid. 

Old  corn.  Rather,  "  produce."  So  in  the  next 
verse. 

Ver.  12.  The  manna  ceases  on  the  sixteenth  of 
Nisan,  and  now  the  provision  prepared  on  the  east 
of  Jordan  stands  them  in  good  part,  until  they  can 
obtain  a  full  supply  from  their  new  land.  (See  note 
on  chap.  i.  11.) 

2.   The  Special  Appearance  of  God. 

Yer.  13.  Was  hy  Jericho.  The  occasion  of  this 
vision  must  have  been  a  time  of  retirement  on  the 
part  of  Joshua,  and  very  probably  a  time  of  prayer. 
The  place  may  have  been  near  Gilgal,  as  the  head- 
quarters of  Israel  seem  to  have  continued  at  Gilgal 
during  all  the  remarkable  siege  of  Jericho.  "  Near 
Gilgal  "  would  be  equivalent  to  ^-  by  Jericho."  A 
warrior  suddenly  appears  before  Joshua.  Israel's 
hero  instantly  challenges  him.    The  doubting  char- 


54  COMMENTARY  ON 

14  And  he  said,  Nay;  but  as  captain  of  the  host  of 
the  Lord  am  I  now  come.  And  Joshua  fell  on  his 
face  to  the  earth,  and  did  worship,  and  said  unto  him, 
What  saith  my  lord  unto  his  servant? 

15  And  the  captain  of  the  Lord's  host  said  unto 
Joshua,  Loose  thy  shoe  from  off  thy  foot,  for  the  place 
whereon  thou  standest  is  holy:  and  Joshua  did  so. 

acter  of  his  question  suggests  the  notion  that  it 
was  in  the  night-time,  and  that  therefore  Joshua 
could  not  readily  discern  whether  it  was  an  Isra- 
elite or  not. 

Ver.  14.  Lit.,  iVa?/,  hut  I,  prince  of  the  host  of 
Jehovah^  have  now  come.  "  Prince  of  the  host  of 
Jehovah  "  would  be  understood  by  Joshua  to  be  a 
ruler  of  angels.  And  therefore  he  immediately 
offers  him  obeisance.  The  worship  is  only  such 
worship  as  one  created  being  might  offer  another. 
He  calls  him  "  my  lord,"  which  is  not  the  title  (in 
the  Hebrew)  he  would  have  used  if  he  had  sup- 
posed the  angel  to  be  the  Divine  Angel,  coequal 
with  God. 

Ver.  15.  Loose  thy  shoe,  &c.  Now  the  command 
of  the  angel,  the  pronouncing  of  the  ground  holy 
where  such  an  interview  was  held,  and  the  likeness 
in  all  this  to  the  interview  of  God  with  Moses  at 
the  bush,  must  have  convinced  Joshua  that  this 
was  indeed  God  himself,  and  not  the  person  of  a 
created  angel,  that  stood  before  him. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   VI.  65 


CHAPTER   VI. 

1  Now  Jericho  was  straitly  shut  up,  because  of  the 
children  of  Israel:  none  went  out,  and  none  came  in. 

2  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Joshua,  See,  I  have  given 
into  thine  hand  Jericlio,  and  the  king  thereof,  and  the 
mighty  men  of  valour. 

Ver.  1.     Merely  parenthetical. 

Ver.  2.  The  Lord,  Lit.,  "  Jehovah,"  the  same 
as  the  prince  of  the  host  of  the  Lord^  in  chap.  v.  15. 
It  is  Jehovah-Jesus,  the  Lord  of  angels,  "  the 
brightness  of  the  Father's  glory,  the  express  image 
of  his  person  "  (Heb.  i.  3).  He  appears  as  a  war- 
rior, because  he  wishes  to  impress  upon  Joshua 
that  he,  the  Lord,  is  fighting  with  Israel  against 
Canaan.  It  is  not  Israel's  war,  but  God's  war, 
against  a  depraved  and  God-defiant  people.  (Com- 
pare the  appearance  of  our  Lord  as  against  sinners, 
represented  in  Rev.  xix.  11-16.) 

Ver.  2.  I  have  given.  Notice  how  often  God 
repeats  the  thought  to  Israel  that  all  their  action 
against  Canaan  was  as  his  agents,  and  not  at  all  as 
of  themselves.  Vengeance  or  cruelty  in  their  con- 
quest had  no  more  place  necessarily  than  the  same 
qualities  are  necessarily  found  in  a  sheriff  who 
executes  a  capital  sentence. 


66  co:m]mentaey  on 

3  And  ye  shall  compass  the  city,  all  ye  men  of  war, 
and  go  round  about  the  city  once:  thus  shalt  thou  do 
six  days. 

4  And  seven  priests  shall  bear  before  the  ark  seven 
trumpets  of  rams'  horns:  and  the  seventh  day  ye  shall 
compass  the  city  seven  times,  and  the  priests  shall  blow    - 
with  the  trumpets. 

5  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  when  they  make  a 
long  blast  Nvith  the  rani's  horn,  and  when  ye  hear  the 
sound  of  the  trumpet,  all  the  people  shall  shout  with  a 
great  shout:  and  the  wall  of  the  city  shall  fail  down 
flat,  and  the  people  shall  ascend  up  every  man  straight 
before  him. 

Ver.  3-5.  Once  a  day  for  six  days  the  entire 
force  of  armed  men,  perhaps  six  hundred  thousand 
men,  was  to  march  around  the  city,  and  with  them 
seven  *  priests,  bearing  each  a  horn  and  blowing 
upon  it,  preceding  the  ark.  On  the  seventh  day 
the  procession  should  march  seven  times  around  the 
devofed  city,  and  then  a  long  blast  from  the  horns 
should  be  accompanied  by  a  shout  from  the  whole 
army,  when  the  walls  should  sink  upon  themselves, 
and  the  army  should  march  directly  into  the  city, 
every  man  in  a  straight  course  from  his  standing- 
place. 

Ver.  4.  Trumpets  of  rams'  horns.  More  truly, 
"  shrill  clarions."  The  word  translated  "  trum- 
pets "  means  a  horn,  as  we  see  by  ver.  5,  where 

*  The  number  "  seven,"  used  here  in  the  enumeration  of  priests, 
trumpets,  days,  and  circuits,  must  have  a  special  significance.  Some 
consider  it  a  combination  of  four  (the  earth's  number)  and  three 
(the  divine  number),  and  thus  representing  God's  reconcihng 
peace,  i.e.,  tlie  number  of  redemption.  Some  think  that  here  is  a 
reference  to  the  seven  great  days  of  the  world's  history  and  the 
final  judgment. 


JOSHUA,    CHAP.    VI.  57 

6  ^  And  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun  called  the  priests, 
and  said  unto  them,  Take  up  the  ark  of  the  covenant, 
and  let  seven  priests  bear  seven  trumpets  of  rams' 
horns  before  the  ark  of  the  Loud. 

7  And  he  said  unto  the  people,  Pass  on,  and  com- 
pass the  city,  and  let  him  that  is  armed  pass  on  before 
the  ark  of  the  Loud. 

8  ^  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Joshua  had  spoken 
unto  the  people,  that  the  seven  priests  bearing  the 
seven  trumpets  of  rams'  horns  passed  on  before  the 
Lord,  and  blew  with  the  trumpets:  and  the  ark  of 
the  covenant  of  the  Lord  followed  them. 

9  ^  And  the  armed  men  went  before  the  priests  that 
blew  with  the  trumpets,  and  the  rere-ward  came  after 
the  ark,  the  priests  going  on,  and  blowing  with  the 
trumpets. 

the  Hebrew  word  "  horn  "  is  used.  It  was  a  horn 
that  produced  a  loud,  clear  sound.  The  word 
transhited  "  rams'  horn "  is  the  familiar  word 
"jubilee,"  and  refers  originally  to  an  exciting 
shrill  clangor.  Trumpet-sounds  were  tokens  of 
the  divine  presence  and  power  (Ex.  xix.  16). 

3.   The  Fall  of  Jericho. 

Ver.  7.  Him  that  is  armed.  Rather,  "  the 
selected  troops."     (See  on  chap.  iv.   13.) 

Ver.  8.  Before  the  Lord,  That  is,  "  before  the 
ark  of  the  Lord."  The  ark  was  God's  representa- 
tive, as  the  pillar  of  cloud  had  been  previously. 

Ver.  9.  The  chalutz,  or  "  selected  troops,"  went 
before  the  ark ;  and  the  measseph,  or  "  massed 
troops,"  followed  the  ark.  This  special  arrange- 
ment is  omitted  in  the  record  of  the  Lord's  com- 
mand in  ver.  2-5,  where  for  brevity's  sake  the 
orders  are  only  generally  stated. 
3* 


68  COMMENTARY   ON 

10  And  Joshua  had  commanded  the  people,  saying, 
Ye  shall  not  shout,  nor  make  any  noise  with  your  voice, 
neither  shall  any  word  proceed  out  of  your  mouth,  until 
the  day  I  bid  you  shout,  then  shall  ye  shout. 

11  So  the  ark  of  the  Lord  compassed  the  city,  going 
about  it  ouce:  and  they  came  into  the  camp,  and  lodged 
in  the  camp. 

12  ^  And  Joshua  rose  early  in  the  morning,  and  the 
priests  took  up  the  ark  of  the  Lord. 

lo  And  seven  priests  bearing  seven  trumpets  of  rams' 
horns  before  the  ark  of  the  Lord  went  on  continually, 
and  blew  with  the  trumpets:  and  the  armed  men  went 
before  them;  but  the  rere-ward  came  after  the  ark  of 
the  Lord,  the  priests  going  on,  and  blowing  with  the 
trumpets. 

14  And  the  second  day  they  compassed  the  city 
once,  and  returned  into  the  camp.  So  they  did  six 
days. 

15  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  seventh  day,  that  they 
rose  early  about  the  dawning  of  the  day,  and  compassed 
the  city  after  the  same  manner  seven  times:  only  on 
that  day  they  compassed  the  city  seven  times. 

16  And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  seventh  time,  when 
the  priests  blew  with  the  trumpets,  Joshua  said  unto 
the  people,  Shout;  for  the  Lord  hath  given  you  the 
city. 

17  If  And  the  city  shall  be  accursed,  even  it,  and  all 
that  are  therein,  to  the  Lord:  only  Rahab  the  harlot 
shall  live,  she  and  all  that  are  with  her  in  the  house, 
because  she  hid  the  messengers  that  we  sent. 

Yee.  10.  In  perfect  silence  the  march  was  to 
continue,  till  the  last  circuit  of  the  last  day  (ver. 
16). 

Ver.  11.   The  camp^  i.e.,  at  Gilgal. 

Ver.  13.  See  on  verses  4  and  9. 

Ver.  15.  Early.  To  give  time  for  the  seven 
circuits. 

Ver.  17-19.  These  also  are  special  directions, 
not  recorded   in  ver.  2-5.     (Comp.  on  ver.  9.). 

Accursed.     Heb.  ''  cherem."     In  Lev.  xxvii.  28, 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  yi.  59 

18  And  ye,  in  any  ynse  keep  yourselves  from  the  ac- 
cursed thing,  lest  ye  make  yourselves  accursed,  when  ye 
take  of  the  accursed  thing,  and  make  the  camp  of  Israel 
a  curse,  and  trouble  it. 

19  But  all  the  silver,  a-nd  gold,  and  vessels  of  brass 
and  iron,  are  consecrated  unto  the  Lord:  they  shall 
come  into  the  treasury  of  the  Lord. 

20  So  the  people  shouted  when  the  priests  blew  with 
the  trumpets:  and  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  people 
heard  the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  and  the  people  shouted 
with  a  great  shout,  that  the  wall  fell  down  flat,  so  that 
the  people  went  up  into  the  city,  every  man  straight 
before  him,  and  they  took  the  city. 


is  the  law  of  "  cherem,"  or  the  devoted  thing.  It 
implied  an  entire  separation  to  the  Lord :  if  of 
material  property,  by  consecration  to  his  service  ; 
and  if  of  persons,  to  death.  Hence  here,  Rahab 
shall  live,  is  antithetic  to  the  general  "  cherem." 

Ver.  18,  "  Only  do  ye  beware  of  the  cherem, 
lest  ye  make  cherem,  and  take  of  the  cherem,  and 
put  the  camp  of  Israel  to  cherem.'"  The  last 
two  clauses  are  an  enlargement  of  the  first  two  ; 
thus,  "  Beware  of  the  cherem,  so  as  not  to  take 
of  the  cherem,  lest  ye  make  cherem,  by  putting 
the  camp  of  Israel  to  cherem.'^  (Comp.  Deut. 
vii.  25,  26.) 

Ver.  19.  Consecrated.  Lit.,  "holiness." 
Ver.  20.  The  directions  are  followed.  The 
priests  make  the  long  blast  (yet  only  the  word  for 
the  ordinary  blowing  is  used  here),  the  host  hear 
and  respond  with  a  mighty  shout,  the  walls  fall  in 
upon  themselves,  as  if  shaken  by  an  earthquake, 
and  the  host  march  in,  each  man  in  a  straight  line 
from  his  standing-place. 


60  COMMENTARY   ON 


21  And  they  utterly  destroyed  all  that  was  in  the 
city,  both  man  and  woman,  young  and  old,  and  ox,  and 
sheep,  and  ass,  with  the  edge  of  the  sword. 


Ver.  21.  The  cJierem,  so  far  as  the  persons  in 
Jericho  were  concerned,  was  literally  observed.  It 
is  a  favorite  objection  to  the  morality  of  th(3  Old 
Testament  Scriptures,  and  hence  to  its  teachings 
regarding  God,  that  Israel,  thus  slew  men,  women, 
and  children  in  their  conquest  of  Canaan.  We 
have  already  called  attention  to  God's  constant  use 
of  Israel  as  his  agent  in  this  whole  matter.  He 
who  would  not  be  counted  cruel  in  sending  the 
pestilence  and  destroying  a  people,  ought  not  to  be 
charged  with  cruelty  when  he  uses  human  agency 
in  the  same  manner.  So  that  the  God  of  the  Old 
Testament  cannot  be  called  a  cruel  Gad  any  more 
than  the  God  of  nature  can  be  so  accused.  Such  a 
teaching,  therefore,  regarding  God  is  nothing 
against  the  Old  Testament,  or  against  the  course 
of  Israel  as  God's  people.  God's  ways  are  above 
us.  We  cannot  know  his  motives  or  his  purposes. 
We  must  acknowledge  his  wisdom,  and  be  still, 
knowing  that  he  is  God.  He  has  revealed  him- 
self as  Love,  and  yet  we  know  that  he  permits 
and  ordains  ruin  and  disaster  among  the  children 
of  men.  But  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  does 
justly.  In  all  this  matter  of  Israel's  conquest  of 
Canaan,  we  must  keep  ever  before  us  the  mere 
agency  of  Israel  throughout.  The  divine  order 
permeates  all  they  do.  So  there  is  no  example 
here  for  men,  without  orders  from  Grod  direct.    The 


JOSHUA,    CHAP.    VI.  61 

22  But  Joshua  had  said  unto  the  two  men  that  had 
spied  out  the  country,  Go  into  the  harlot's  house,  and 
bring  out  thence  the  woman,  and  all  that  she  hath,  as 
ye  sware  unto  her. 

23  And  the  young  men  that  were  spies  went  in,  and 
brought  out  Rahab,  and  her  father,  and  her  mother, 
and  her  brethren,  and  all  that  she  had ;  and  they 
brought  out  all  her  kindred,  and  left  them  without  the 
camp  of  Israel. 

2Jr  And  they  burnt  the  city  with  fire,  and  all  that 
was  therein:  only  the  silver,  and  the  gold,  and  the  ves- 
sels of  brass  and  of  iron,  they  put  into  the  treasury  of 
the  house  of  the  Lord. 

25  And  Joshua  saved  Rahab  the  harlot  alive,  and 
her  father's  household,  and  all  that  she  had;  and  she 
dwelleth  in  Israel  even  unto  this  day ;  because  she  hid 
the  messengers  which  J(  shua  sent  to  spy  out  Jericho. 

26  ^  And  Joshua  abjured  them  at  that  time,  saying, 
Cursed  be  the  man  before  the  Lord,  that  riseth  up  and 
buildeth  this  city  Jericho;  he  shall  lay  the  foundation 
thereof  in  his  first-born,  and  in  his  youngest  son  shall 
he  set  up  the  gates  of  it. 


case  is  unique,  and  cannot  constitute  a  precedent. 
(See  Appendix.) 

Ver.  22.  All  that  she  hath.  Like  the  "  all  that 
they  have  "  of  chap.  ii.  13,  this  refers  only  to  hu- 
man beings,  not  to  goods.  It  is  explained  in  the 
next  verse  as  "  all  her  kindred,"  or,  literally,  "  all 
her  famihes ;  "  ^.e.,  all  the  households  belonging  to 
her  father's  stock. 

Ver.  23.  Without  the  camp.  They  could  not 
enter  until  they  had  been  ritually  prepared  as 
proselytes. 

Ver.  25.  Even  unto  this  day.  (See  on  chap, 
iv.  9.) 

Ver.  26.  The  ruined  site  was  to  be  a  witness  to 
succeeding  generations  of  God's  favor  to  his  people, 


62  COMMENTARY  ON 

27  So  the  Lord  was  with  Joshua;  and  his  fame  was 
noised  throughout  all  the  country. 

and  of  his  judgment  upon  sin.  Jericho  was  given 
to  Benjamin  (chap,  xviii.  21),  and  people  dwelt 
there  after  this,  before  Hiel  rebuilt  it,  as  we  see  by 
Judg.  i.  16,  and  iii.  13,  as  compared  with  Deut. 
xxxiv.  3.  It  was  simply  an  unfortified,  open  town 
or  straggling  village  ;  and  hence  the  Kenites,  who 
would  not  dwell  in  fortified  towns,  were  wilHng  to 
abide  there  for  a  time  (Judg.  i.  16.  Comp.  Judg. 
iv.  11 ;  1  Chron.  ii.  55 ;  Jer.  xxxv.  7,  10).  The 
curse  of  Joshua  was  against  any  one  who  should 
rebuild  Jericho  as  a  fortification.  Hence  he  speaks 
of  ''  foundation  "  and  "  gates." 

In  his  first  horn  ;  in  his  youngest  son.  "  In  "  is 
used  in  Hebrew  for  "  at  the  price  or  pay  of."  Thus, 
in  Gen.  xxix.  18,  Jacob  says,  "  I  will  serve  thee 
seven  years  in  Rachel  thy  younger  daughter ;  " 
that  is,  at  the  pay  of  Rachel.  So  here,  "  at  the 
cost  of  his  first-born."  It  is  not  said  that  all  the 
man's  children  should  die  during  the  rebuilding, 
but  it  seems  to  be  implied.  Hiel,  of  Bethel,  more 
than  five  hundred  years  afterward,  dared  the 
curse,  and  was  punished  accordingly  (1  Kings 
xvi.  34). 

Ver.  27.  By  the  crossing  of  Jordan  and  the 
taking  of  Jericho,  under  grand  miraculous  exhibi- 
tions of  God's  presence  and  guidance,  Joshua's 
position  as  Israel's  great  captain  was  confirmed 
and  his  name  feared  by  the  people  of  Canaan. 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  vn.  63 


CHAPTER   VII. 

VI.    The  Conquest.     (Chap,  vii.-xii.) 

1  But  the  children  of  Israel  committed  a  trespass  in 
the  accursed  thing:  for  Achan,  tlie  son  of  Carmi,  the 
son  of  Zabdi,  the  son  of  Zerah,  of  the  tribe  of  Judah, 
took  of  the  accursed  thing:  and  the  anger  of  the  Lord 
was  kindled  against  the  children  of  Israel. 

Thus  far  Israel  had  not  gained  aught  by  military 
prowess.  Miraculous  intervention  had  secured  the 
crossing  of  the  Jordan  and  the  capture  of  Jericho. 
But  now  the  conquest  by  their  own  arm  (under 
God)  was  to  begin.  They  had  been  vividly  taught 
by  the  events  of  the  preceding  month  to  be  trust- 
ful before  God,  and  this  necessary  lesson  having 
been  given,  they  were  now  to  go  forward  and  con- 
quer the  land  for  the  Lord  who  sent  them.  But 
their  conduct  was  very  soon  to  show  that  a  new 
teaching  of  God's  severity  against  disobedience  was 
necessary.  They  were  to  learn  that  their  trust  in 
God  against  their  enemies  w^as  to  be  proportioned 
to  their  own  obedience  to  God. 

1.    The  Repulse  before  Ai. 

Ver.  1.  The  children  of  Israel  committed  a  tres- 
pass. The  whole  nation  is  so  connected  with  each 
family  within  it,  that  the  sin  of  one  family  mars 
the  progress  of  all.    If  one  member  suffer,  all  suffer 


64  COMMENTARY   ON 

2  And  Joshua  sent  men  from  Jericho  to  Ai,  which 
i.s  beside  Beth-aven,  on  the  east  side  of  Beth-el,  and 
spake  unto  them,  saying.  Go  up  and  view  the  country. 
And  the  men  went  up  and  viewed  Ai, 

with  it  (Rom.  xii.  26).  God  treats  his  people  as 
one,  because  they  are  one.  Nature  testifies  to  the 
oneness  of  the  race.  Grace  uses  this  nature  in  the 
constitution  of  the  redeemed  family  of  God. 

Committed  a  trespass.  Lit.,  "  deceived  a  deceit." 
Achan  practised  a  deceit  with  regard  to  the  clierem. 

Achan.  He  stands  forth  in  sad  conspicuity  in 
the  record  in  1  Chron.  ii.  7.  He  was  fourth  in 
descent  from  Judah,  according  to  tliis  list ;  but  as 
many  names  were  left  out  of  Jewish  lists  (names 
of  unimportant  men  or  of  those  who  died  quite 
early  in  life),  we  cannot  be  sure  that  there  were 
only  four  generations  between  Achan  and  Judah. 
It  was  a  member  of  the  leading  tribe  (in  point  of 
size  and  birthright  precedence)  who  first  marred 
the  symmetry  and  success  of  Israel's  conquest. 

The  anger  of  the  Lord  is  his  holiness  outburn- 
ing  against  unrighteousness.  See  Ex.  iv.  14,  where 
the  phrase  is  used  toward  Moses,  the  friend  of  God 
(Ex.  xxxiii.  11).  In  these  anthropomorphic  repre- 
sentations of  God,  we  must  divest  the  affections  of 
all  the  sinful  qualities  the}"  have  in  man. 

Ver.  2.  A  reconnoitring  party  are  sent  to  ex- 
amine Ai,  as  the  next  important  city  to  conquer 
on  Israel's  way  to  the  very  centre  of  the  land, 
where  they  were  to  enter  anew  into  solemn  cove- 
nant with  God.  The  host  still  encamp  at  Gilgal, 
stretching  out  over  the  plain   to   Jericho.     Ai  is 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  yn.  65 

3  And  they  returned  to  Joshua,  and  said  unto  him, 
Let  not  all  the  people  go  up;  but  let  about  two  or 
three  thousand  men  go  up  and  smite  Ai:  and  make  not 
all  the  people  to  labour  thither;  for  they  are  hut  few. 

here  mentioned  as  beside  or  near  Bethaven,  and 
east  of  Bethel.  In  1  Sam.  xiii.  5,  Michmash  is 
said  to  be  east  of  Bethaven.  In  Hos.  x.  5,  the 
idol-calves  of  Bethel  are  called  by  a  paronomasia 
the  calves  of  Bethaven,  which  would  indicate  that 
Bethel  and  Bethaven  were  near  together.  Now 
the  sites  of  Bethel  and  Michmash  are  identified 
beyond  a  doubt,  Michmash  being  five  miles  south 
and  east  of  Bethel,  its  longitude  being  less  than 
three  miles  east  of  that  of  Bethel.  Both  Ai  and 
Bethaven  must  lie  somewhere  between  these  two 
points,  so  that  Michmash  may  be  eastward  of 
Bethaven,  and  Ai,  which  is  near  Bethaven,  be 
eastward  of  Bethel.  Van  der  Velde's  identifica- 
tion of  Ai  Avith  Tell  el-Hajar,  and  of  Bethaven  with 
the  ruins  on  the  rocky  height  about  a  mile  south- 
east of  Bethel,  and  about  a  mile  west  of  Ai,  is 
undoubtedly  correct.  Tell  el-Hajar  i^  on  the  south- 
ern brow  of  the  deep  Wady  el-Mutyah,  and  shows 
no  other  remains  of  antiquity  than  a  broken  cistern. 
The  distance  of  Ai  from  Jericho  is  thirteen  miles, 
and  the  route  is  along  the  base  of  Kuruntul,  and 
then  directly  westw^ard  up  the  deep  Wady  el-Mut- 
yah. This  wady  forms  a  natural  road  into  the 
heart  of  the  country. 

Ver.  3.  The  spies  return,  come  back  from  Ai, 
and  advise  that  only  a  small  band  of  two  thousand 
or  three  thousand  be  sent  against  the  city.     They 


DO  COMMEKTAKY  ON 

4  So  there  went  up  thither  of  the  people  about  three 
thousand  men:  and  they  fled  before  the  men  of  Ai. 

5  And  the  men  of  Ai  smote  of  them  about  thirty  and 
six  men :  for  they  chased  them  from  before  the  gate 
even  unto  Shebarim,  and  smote  them  in  the  going 
down,  wherefore  the  hearts  of  the  people  melted,  and 
became  as  water. 

6  ^  And  Joshua  rent  his  clothes,  and  fell  to  the 
earth  upOn  his  face  before  the  ark  of  the  Lord  until 
the  even-tide,  he  and  the  elders  of  Israel,  and  put  dust 
upon  their  heads. 

were,  doubtless,  full  of  what  God  had  done  at 
Jericho,  with  which  Ai  was  a  very  small  city  in 
comparison,  and  it  ma}^  have  been  a  commendable 
faith  Avhich  prompted  their  report.  Ai  had  but 
twelve  thousand  inhabitants  in  all  (chap.  viii.  25), 
and  hence  may  not  have  had  over  three  thousand 
fighting  men. 

Ver.  4.  The  little  detachment  probably  pro- 
ceeded up  the  Mutyah  directly  to  the  city  gate, 
using  no  stratagem  whatever. 

Ver.  5.  About  thirty  and  six  men.  Why 
"about"?  Perhaps  some  dangerously  wounded 
were  counted  in  the  number. 

Unto  Sheharhn.  Or,  by  translation,  to  the  hrohen 
places,  i.e.,  to  the  steep  broken  sides  of  the  Mutyah. 

And  smote  them  in  the  going  doivn,  i.e.,  along  the 
descent  of  the  great  wady  toAvard  Jericho. 

Melted.  (See  on  chap.  ii.  9,  11.)  The  people 
had  trusted  their  success  rather  than  God.  So 
when  success  ends,  they  faint. 

Ver.  6.  Joshua  and  the  representative  council 
of  the  Israelitish  nation  assume  the  attitude  and 
condition  of  deepest  grief  and  abasement  before 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  vn.  6T 

7  And  Joshua  said,  Alas!  O  Lord  God,  wherefore 
hast  thou  at  all  brought  this  people  over  Jordan,  to 
deliver  us  into  the  hand  of  the  Amorites,  to  destroy  us? 
would  to  God  we  had  been  content,  and  dwelt  on  the 
other  side  Jordan !  -r        i   ^         xi, 

8  O  Lord,  M-hat  shall  I  say,  when  Israel  turneth 
their  backs  before  their  enemies ! 

9  For  the  Canaanites,  and  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
land  shall  hear  of  it,  and  shall  environ  us  round,  and 
cut  off  our  name  from  the  earth:  and  what  wilt  thou 
do  unto  thy  great  name  ? 

the  ark  until  the  time  of  evening  sacrifice.  It 
would  appear  from  this  passage  and  from  chap, 
viii.  33,  that  the  tabernacle  was  not  yet  set  up  in 
the  new  land,  but  awaited  the  arrival  at  its  perma- 
nent position.  In  this  case  the  ark  would  be 
exposed  to  view.  The  parts  of  the  ritual  that 
would  require  the  erection  of  the  tabernacle  were, 
doubtless,  suspended. 

Ver.  7-9.  There  is  a  strange  minghng  of  un- 
belief and  of  zeal  for  God  in  Joshua's  cry.  He 
suggests  that  God  has  intended  to  destroy  his 
people,  and  wishes  they  had  remained  in  the  con- 
quered countries  east  of  Jordan.  He  expects, 
also,  saddest  results  from  the  defeat.  But  with  all 
this,  he  shows  a  deep  concern  for  the  honor  of 
God's  name,  which  he  fears  has  been  compromised. 
The  greatest  of  saints  break  down  under  trial, 
and  show  how  weak  they  are.  God  mercifully 
remembers  they  are  dust,  and  bears  with  them 
tenderly. 

Ver.  7.  Would  to  aod.  The  name  of  God  does 
not  appear  in  the  Hebrew.  It  is  simply  "would 
that." 


68  COI^OIENTARY   ON 

10  1[  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Joshua,  Get  thee  up; 
wherefore  liest  thou  thus  upon  thy  face  'i 

11  Israel  hath  sinned,  and  they  have  also  trans- 
gressed my  covenant  which  I  commanded  them:  for 
they  have  even  taken  of  the  accursed  thing,  and  have 
also  stolen,  and  dissembled  also,  and  they  have  put  it 
even  among  their  own  stuff. 

12  Therefore  the  children  of  Israel  could  not  stand 
before  their  enemies,  but  turned  their  backs  before  their 
enemies,  because  they  were  accursed:  neither  will  I  be 
with  you  any  more,  except  ye  destroy  the  accursed  from 
among  you. 


2.  Achan^s  Sin  and  Punishment. 

Ver.  10.  The  LoixVs  speech  to  Joshua  at  this 
thue  must  have  been  in  the  presence  of  the  elders. 
We  may,  tlierefore,  suppose  that  it  came  through 
Urim  and  Thummim,  and  by  the  voice  of  Eleazar 
the  high-priest.  The  rebuke  in  the  words  of  the 
Lord  is  a  strong  one.     The  question  is  sharp. 

Ver.  11.  Israel  had  both  sinned  in  the  theft  and 
deceit  of  Achan,  and  had  broken  the  covenant  so 
solemnly  made  at  Sinai  and  remembered  at  Gilgal. 
They  had  taken  of  the  cherem^  they  had  stolen, 
they  had  deceived,  the}^  had  made  the  cherem 
private  property.  In  the  Hebrew,  the  six  allega- 
tions are  connected  together  by  the  particle  "  gam  " 
(also),  five  times  repeated,  giving  great  solemnity 
to  the  charge. 

Ver.  12.   Tliey  were  accursed.     Lit.,  "theyw^ere 
for  cheretn.'^     They  had  identified  themselves  with 
cherem,  and  so  must  suffer,  so  long  as  this  identifi 
cation  should  continue,  for  all  that  is  cherem  must 
be  destroyed. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   VII.  69 

13  Up,  sanctify  the  people,  and  say.  Sanctify  your- 
selves against  to-morrow:  for  thus  saith  the  Lord  God 
of  Israel,  There  is  an  accursed  thing  in  the  midst  of 
thee,  O  Israel:  thou  canst  not  stand  before  thine  ene- 
mies, until  ye  take  away  the  accursed  thing  from  among 
you. 

II:  In  the  morning  therefore  ye  shall  be  brought  ac- 
cording to  your  tribes:  and  it  shall  be,  that  the  tribe 
which  the  Lord  taketh  shall  come  according  to  the 
families  thereof:  and  the  family  which  the  Lord  shall 
take  shall  come  by  households  ;  and  the  household 
which  the  Lohd  shall  take  shall  come  man  by  man. 

15  And  it  shall  be,  that  he  that  is  taken  with  the 
accursed  thing  shall  be  burnt  with  fire,  he  and  all  that 
he  hath  :  because  he  hath  transgressed  the  covenant 
of  the  Lord,  and  because  he  hath  wrought  folly  in 
Israel. 

Yer.  13.  ZTp,  sanctify  the  people.  "Up"  from 
the  bowed  attitude  of  humiliation  and  grief.  For 
the  sanctification,  see  on  chap.  iii.  5. 

Ver.  14.  On  the  morrow  would  be  the  search 
for  the  offenders.  That  very  evening  they  would 
make  their  solemn  ritiial  preparation  for  the  inves- 
tigation. The  fearful  nature  of  sin  is  shown  most 
forcibly  in  this  memorable  scene.  How  can  man 
make  light  of  that  which  God  thus  stamps  with 
his  holy  indignation  and  righteous  judgments  ? 

Ver.  15.  The  burning  with  fire  was  the  most 
striking  token  of  the  consuming  wrath  of  a  holy 
God.    (See  Heb.  xii.  29,  as  comp.  with  Heb.  x.  27.) 

All  that  he  hath.  All  his  family.  (See  on  chap, 
vi.  22.  See  also  ver.  25.)  The  family  had,  no 
doubt,  been  cognizant  of  Achan's  crime,  and  had 
not  revealed  it,  for  in  Deut.  xxiv.  16,  it  is  expressly 
declared  by  God  that  the  children  shall  not  be  put 
to  death  for  the  fathers. 


70  COMMENTARY  ON 

16  IT  So  Joshua  rose  up  early  in  the  morning,  and 
brought  Israel  by  their  tribes ;  and  the  tribe  of  Judah 
■was  taken: 

17  And  he  brought  the  family  of  Judah ;  and  he 
took  the  family  of  the  Zarhites  :  and  he  brought  the 
family  of  the  Zarhites  man  by  man:  and  Zabdi  was 
taken: 

18  And  he  brought  his  household  man  by  man;  and 
Achan  the  son  of  Carmi,  the  son  of  Zabdi,  the  son  of 
Zerah,  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  was  taken. 


Folly.  The  word  is  used  for  a  great  wickedness. 
For  the  two  elements  of  the  crime  see  on  yer.  11. 

Ver.  16.  Joshua  rose  up  early.  Joshua,  of 
course,  arose  from  his  prostrate  position  before  the 
ark,  and  that  evening  sanctified  the  people.  But 
no  mention  is  made  of  this,  as  it  was  unnecessary. 
But  the  narrative  passes  over  at  once  to  the  next 
day  and  its  investigation. 

Ver.  16-18.  The  process  here  described  was 
wrought,  we  may  suppose,  through  the  use  of  the 
Urim  and  Thummim  (see  Num.  xxvii.  21),  of 
which  we  know  almost  nothing  in  detail.  The  lot 
may  have  been  used  also. 

Zarhites.,  i.e.,  the  branch  of  the  tribe  of  Judah, 
called  from  their  ancestor,  Zerah,  the  son  of 
Judah.  The  tribe  in  Heb.  is  shevet  ("rod"  or 
"  stem"),  and  the  family  is  mishpachaJi  ("  spread- 
ing"), but  in  ver.  17  the  tribe  of  Judah  is  called 
the  family  of  Judah,  for,  after  all,  the  words  are 
comparative  words.  Next  to  the  family  was  the 
house,  or  hay  it  h,  and  then  the  individual  man,  or 
ffever. 

Zabdi  was,  perhaps,  the  oldest  of  Achan's  an- 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  vn.  71 

19  And  Joshua  said  unto  Achan,  My  son,  give,  I 
pray  thee,  glory  to  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  and  make 
confession  unto  him;  and  tell  me  now  what  thou  hast 
done,  hide  it  not  from  me. 

20  And  Achan  answered  Joshua,  and  said,  Indeed  I 
have  sinned  against  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  and  thus 
and  thus  have  I  done. 

21  When  I  saw  among  the  spoils  a  goodly  Baby- 
lonish garment,  and  two  hundred  shekels  of  silver,  and 
a  wedge  of  gold  of  fifty  shekels  weight,  then  I  coveted 
them,  and  took  them,  and  behold,  they  are  hid  in  the 
earth  in  the  midst  of  my  tent,  and  the  silver  under  it. 

cestors  then  living,  his  grandfather,  and  thus  the 
head  of  the  hayith^  or  house.  Between  Zerah  and 
Zabdi,  in  this  case,  there  must  have  been  several 
generations  omitted  in  the  genealogy.  (See  on 
ver.  1.) 

Ver.  19.  My  S071,  Joshua  is  tender,  even  when 
acting  as  a  judge  and  executioner. 

Crive  glory  to  the  Lord.  (Comp.  John  ix.  14.) 
A  solemn  form  of  adjuring  an  accursed  man  to 
confess.  Confession  is  anticipating  the  discovery 
God  will  make  of  the  crime,  and  thus  is  a  tribute 
to  his  omniscience. 

Ver.  21.  Babylonish  garment.  Heb.,  adder eth 
shinar.  The  adderefh  was  a  large  outer  cloak. 
The  Babylonish  or  Shinar  goods  were  well  known 
in  ancient  times  throughout  the  East  for  their  fine 
texture  and  rich  embroidery.  The  figures  of  men 
and  beasts,  which  some  suppose  were  worked  on  such 
a  garment,  would  of  themselves  make  the  article  a 
forbidden  one  to  a  Jew.  The  Babylonian  textures 
are  spoken  of  by  Arrian  (vi.  29).  The  figure  of 
a  Babylonish  king,  of  a  period  three  hundred  years 


72  COMMENTARY   ON 

22  T[  So  Joshua  sent  messengers,  and  they  ran  unto 
the  tent,  and  behold,  it  was  hid  in  his  tent,  and  the 
silver  under  it. 

23  And  they  took  them  out  of  the  midst  of  the  tent, 
and  brought  them  unto  Joshua,  and  unto  all  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel,  and  laid  them  out  before  the  Lord. 

24  And  Joshua,  and  all  Israel  with  him,  took  Achan 
the  son  of  Zerah,  and  the  silver,  and  the  garment,  and 
the  wedge  of  gold,  and  his  sons,  and  his  daughters, 
and  his  oxen,  and  his  asses,  and  his  sheep,  and  his 
tent,  and  all  that  he  had  :  and  they  brought  them 
unto  the  valley  of  Achor. 

later  than  Achan,  engraved  on  a  large  black  stone 
in  the  British  Museum,  represents  him  clad  in  a 
large  outer  robe  embroidered  in  a  very  elaborate 
and  delicate  pattern. 

Two  hundred  shekels  of  silver  would  equal  about 
one  hundred  and  twenty  dollars  of  silver ;  of  course 
at  that  day  worth  probably  twenty  times  what  it  is 
worth  to-day. 

Wedge  of  gold.  Lit.,  "  tongue  of  gold."  This 
gold  ornament  of  fifty  shekels  weight  would  be 
worth  about    two  hundred  and  twenty  dollars. 

The  silver  under  it.  That  is,  the  tongue  of  gold 
was  wrapped  up  in  the  Babylonish  garment,  and 
placed  over  the  more  bulky  silver. 

Ver.  23.  Laid  them  out  before  the  Lord.  Lit., 
"poured  them  out  before  Jehovah,"  i.e.,  poured 
them  out  of  the  cloth  in  which  they  carried  them 
from  the  hiding-place.  "  Before  Jehovah,"  is  (as 
at  chap.  vi.  8)  "  before  the  ark." 

Ver.  24.  Achan's  whole  family  (as  guilty  with 
him)  and  all  his  possessions  are  brought  to  the 
Valley  of  Acks7>^     The  valley  received  the  name 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  vn.  73 

25  And  Joshua  said,  Why  hast  thou  troubled  us? 
the  Lord  shall  trouble  thee  this  day.  And  all  Israel 
stoned  him  witli  stones,  and  burned  them  with  fire, 
after  they  had  stoned  them  with  stones. 

from  this  scene  (ver.  26).  Achor  means  "troub- 
ling," and  refers  to  the  trouble  given  Israel  by  the 
taking  of  the  cherem,  (See  chap.  vi.  18.)  There  is 
also  a  paronomasia  on  Achan's  name.  Indeed,  in 
1  Chron.  ii.  7,  Achan  is  called  Achar^  or  "  troub- 
ler."  Twice  the  prophets  refer  to  this  valley  (Isa, 
Ixv.  10,  and  Hos.  ii.  15),  in  each  case  using  it  as 
a  token  of  a  spiritual  trouble,  out  of  which  God, 
through  his  judgments  and  their  repentance  and 
renewed  obedience,  would  lead  his  people. 

Brought  them  into  the  valley  of  Achor.  The 
Heb.  is,  "  brought  them  up  to  the  valley  of  Achor." 
Hence  (and  also  from  the  position  of  the  valley  in 
the  description  of  Judah's  boundary  in  chap.  xv.  7) 
we  must  look  for  Achor  up  from  the  Jericho  plain. 
It  was  probably  that  portion  of  Wady  Kelt  where 
its  upward  course  enters  the  mountains,  and  where 
now  is  the  ruined  castle  of  Kakon.  It  is  less  than 
two  miles  from  Jericho. 

yEK.25.  Why  hast  thou  troubled  us?  the  Lord 
shall  TROUBLE  thee.  There  is  here,  as  in  the  lex 
talionis  (Ex.  xxi.  23-25),  an  allusion  to  that  per- 
fect justice  which  underlies  the  whole  of  the  divine 
administration.  The  atonement  of  Jesus  Christ 
meets  this  in  behalf  of  the  believing  sinner. 

Stoned  him;  burned  them,    Achan  is  made  promi- 
nent in  the  first  expression,  as  the  leader  in  the 
crime. 
4 


74  COMMENTARY  ON 

26  And  they  raised  over  him  a  great  heap  of  stones 
unto  this  day.     So  the  Lord  turned  from  the  fierce- 
.  ness  of  his  anger:  wherefore  the  name  of  that  place 
was  called,  The  valley  of  Achor,  unto  this  day. 

Ver.  26.  A  great  heap  of  stones  unto  this  day. 
That  is,  probably,  not  only  a  heap  remaining  to 
this  day,  but  which  is  constantly  increased  by  the 
passers  by  throwmg  stones  npon  the  pile  in  their 
indignation  against  the  crime  of  Achan.  On  the 
way  to  Smai  from  Egypt,  the  traveller  passes  such 
a  cairn,  called  "  Husan  Abu  Zenneh,"  which  is 
kicked  by  every  Arab  as  he  goes  by,  and  which, 
I  believe,  is  increased  in  that  manner,  and  for  a 
like  reason. 

So  the  Lord  turned  from  the  fierceriess  of  his 
anger.  Such  passages  as  these  need  to  be  care- 
fully considered,  as  impressing  the  mind  with  the 
fearful  character  of  sin  and  its  certainty  of  pun- 
ishment, before  the  holiness  of  God  can  be  vindi- 
cated. This  whole  department  of  revealed  truth, 
which  is  the  only  true  basis  of  Christian  doctrine 
and  Christian  life,  is  more  and  more  ignored  by 
the  naturalism  of  the  day. 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  vin.  75 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

1  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Joshua,  Fear  not,  neither 
be  thou  dismayed:  take  all  the  people  of  war  with  thee, 
and  arise,  go  up  to  Ai:  see,  I  have  given  into  thy  hand 
the  king  of  Ai,  and  his  people,  and  his  city,  and  his 
land: 

2  And  thou  shalt  do  to  Ai  and  her  king,  as  thou 
didst  unto  Jericho  and  her  king:  only  the  spoil  thereof, 
and  the  cattle  thereof,  shall  ye  take  for  a  prey  unto 
yourselves :  lay  thee  an  ambush  for  the  city  behind  it. 

3.    The  taking  of  Ai. 

Ver.  1.  The  Lord  (perhaps  through  the  high- 
priest)  repeats  the  words  which  gave  courage  to 
Joshua  at  the  beginning  of  his  administration 
(chap.  i.  9).  He  needed  the  comforting  exhorta- 
tion after  the  bitter  experiences  he  had  just  passed 
through.     (Comp.  Acts  xviii.  9,  10,  xxvii.  23,  24.^ 

Take  all  the  people  of  war.  God  would  have  the 
entire  armed  host  witness  how  completely  the  sin 
had  been  expiated  and  Israel  now  again  counted 
pure  before  him.  So  all  the  armed  men  (perhaps 
only  a  section  of  the  six  hundred  thousand  would 
act  as  warriors  at  any  one  time)  were  to  march 
up  to  the  front  of  Ai  and  take  part  in  its  destruc- 
tion. 

Yer.  2.  Oiili/  the  spoil  thereof^  &c.  The  clierem 
is  ordered  only  for  the  human  beings.  The  rest 
should  be  Israel's  own  property. 


76  COMMENTARY  ON 

3  ^  So  Joshua  arose,  and  all  the  people  of  war,  to 
go  up  against  Ai:  and  Joshua  chose  out  thirty  thou- 
sand mighty  men  of  valour,  and  sent  them  away  by 
night. 

4  And  he  commanded  them,  saying,  Behold,  ye 
shall  lie  in  wait  against  the  city,  even  behind  the  city: 
go  not  very  far  from  the  city,  but  be  ye  all  ready: 

5  And  I,  and  all  the  people  that  are  with  me,  will 
approach  unto  the  city:  and  it  shall  come  to  pass  when 
they  come  out  against  u§,  as  at  the  first,  that  we  will 
flee  before  them, 

6  (For  they  will  come  out  after  us)  till  we  have 
drawn  them  from  the  city;  for  they  w^ill  say.  They  flee 
before  us,  as  at  the  first:  therefore  we  will  flee  before 
them. 

7  Then  ye  shall  rise  up  from  the  ambush,  and  seize 
upon  the  city:  for  the  Lord  your  God  will  deliver  it 
into  your  hand. 

8  And  it  shall  be  when  ye  have  taken  the  city,  that 
ye  shall  set  the  city  on  fire :  according  to  the  command- 
ment of  the  Lord  shall  ye  do.  See,  I  have  commanded 
you. 

9  Tf  Joshua  therefore  sent  them  forth ;  and  they 
■went  to  lie  in  ambush,  and  abode  between  Beth-el 
and  Ai,  on  the  w^est  side  of  Ai:  but  Joshua  lodged 
that  uight  among  the  people. 

Ver.  3.  Thirty  thousand  mighty  men  of  valour. 
These  are  selected,  according  to  God's  order,  for 
an  ambuscade.  It  was  an  enormous  number,  but 
God  was  teaching  Israel  at  this  crisis  that  they 
were  to  use  the  means  they  had.  Perhaps  in  the 
spies'  report  (chap.  vii.  3)  and  advice  this  idea 
ma}^  have  been  lacking.  So  large  a  body  of  men 
must  seek  a  place  of  ambuscade  under  cover  of 
the  night.  The  make  of  the  country,  with  its  deep 
ra^vines,  would  help  them.  They  were  to  go  hehiyid 
the  city,  that  is,  on  the  south-west  side  (ivest^ 
according  to  ver.  9),  as  the  city  (if  Tell  el-Hajar 
be  the  site)  fronted  northward  on  the  Wady  el- 


JOSHUA,   CH.^JP.  Yin.  77 

10  And  Joshua  rose  up  early  in  the  morning,  and 
numbered  the  people,  and  went  up,  he  and  the  elders 
of  Israel,  before  the  people  to  Ai. 

11  And  all  the  people,  even  the  people  of  war  that 
were  with  him,  went  up,  and  drew  nigh,  and  came 
before  the  city,  and  pitched  on  the  north  side  of  Ai: 
now  there  teas  a  valley  between  them  and  Ai. 

12  And  he  took  about  live  thousand  men,  and  set 
them  to  lie  in  ambush  between  Beth-el  and  Ai,  on  the 
west  side  of  the  city. 

13  And  when  they  had  set  the  people,  even  all  the 
host  that  was  on  the  north  of  the  city,  and  their  liers  in 
wait  on  the  west  of  the  city,  Joshua  went  that  night 
into  the  midst  of  the  valley. 

11:  ^  And  it  came  to  pass  when  the  king  of  Ai  saw 
it,  that  they  hasted  and  rose  up  early,  and  the  men  of 


Mutjah.  They  would  naturally  pass  up  Wady 
Kelt  and  Wady  es-Suweinit  to  the  deep  hollow 
just  west  of  el-Kudeh^ah.  This  would  be,  accord- 
ing to  ver.  9,  between  Bethel  and  Ai,  on  the  luest 
side  of  Ai, 

Ver.  10.  Numbered  the  people,  Kather,  "  re- 
viewed the  people,"  i.e,,  the  people  of  war,  the 
soldiery  (ver.  11). 

Yer.  11,  12.  The  great  host  occupied  the  north 
hills  of  Wady  el-Mutyah,  in  full  view  of  the  city. 
From  this  position  he  sent  an  additional  five  thou- 
sand to  form  another  ambuscade  at  the  west  of  the 
city,  perhaps  in  one  of  the  hollows  below  Burj 
Beitin. 

Ver.  13.  After  this  display  of  his  forces  on  the 
north  hills,  and  this  arrangement  of  his  new  am- 
buscade, Joshua  marches  down  into  the  middle  of 
Wady  el-Mutyah,  directly  toward  the  city. 

Ver.  14.  The  people  of  Ai  discover  his  position 


7S  COM.MENTARY  ON 

the  city  went  out  against  Israel  to  battle,  he  and  all 
his  people,  at  a  time  appointed,  before  the  plain:  but 
he  Avist  not  that  there  were  Hers  in  ambush  against  him 
behhid  the  city. 

15  And  Joshua  and  all  Israel  made  as  if  they  were 
beaten  before  them,  and  fled  by  the  way  of  the  wilder- 
ness. 

16  And  all  the  people  that  icere  in  Ai  were  called 
together  to  pursue  after  them:  and  they  pursued  after 
Joshua,  and  were  drawn  away  from  the  city. 

17  And  there  was  not  a  man  left  in  Ai,  or  Beth-el, 
that  went  not  out  after  Israel:  and  they  left  the  city 
open,  and  pursued  after  Israel. 

18  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Joshua,  Stretch  out  the 
spear  that  w  in  thine  hand  toward  Ai ;  for  I  will  give  it 
into  thine  hand.  And  Joshua  stretched  out  the  spear 
that  he  had  in  his  hand  toward  the  city. 

early  in  the  morning,  and  they  go  out  to  the  place 
of  assemhly  (Champ  cle  Mars)  in  front  of  the  Ara- 
hah,  for  so  should  be  rendered  the  words  which  we 
have  in  English, ''  at  a  time  appointed,  before  the 
plain."  The  Arabah,  or  "sterile  plain,"  is  the 
same  as  the  wilderness  of  Bethaven  of  chap,  xviii. 
12,  which  would  be  the  waste  region  at  the  head 
of  Wady  jMutyah. 

Ver.  15.  TJie  tvilderness,  i.e.^  of  Bethayen. 
(See  preceding  note.) 

Ver.  17.  Not  a  man,  i.e.,  not  a  soldier.  (Comp. 
ver.  24.)  This  verse  shows  that  Bethel  and  Ai 
were  very  near  together.  If  Ai  were  at  Tell  el- 
Hajar,  the  distance  between  the  two  would  be  less 
than  two  miles.  The  rout  seemed  to  be  so  perfect, 
that  the  Avhole  neighborhood  joined  in,  thinking 
probably  that  this  would  be  the  last  of  Israel. 

Ver.  18.  The  S2year.  Heb.,  chidhon.  Kimchi, 
quoted  by  Gesenius,  says  that  this  was  a  siDcar  on 


JOSHUA,  CHAP    vin.  79 

19  And  the  ambush  arose  quickly  out  of  their  place, 
and  they  ran  as  soon  as  he  had  stretched  out  his 
hand:  and  theyentered  into  the  city,  and  took  it,  and 
hasted,  and  set  the  city  on  fire. 

20  And  when  the  men  of  Ai  looked  behind  them, 
they  saw,  and  behold,  the  smoke  of  the  city  ascended 
up  to  heaven,  and  they  had  no  power  to  flee  this  way 
or  that  way:  and  the  people  that  fled  to  the  wilderness 
turned  back  upon  the  pursuers. 

21  And  when  Joshua  and  all  Israel  saw  that  the  am- 
bush had  taken  the  city,  and  that  the  smoke  of  the  city 
ascended,  then  they  turned  again,  and  slew  the  men  of  Ai. 

22  And  the  other  issued  out  of  the  city  against  them; 
so  they  were  in  the  midst  of  Israel,  some  on  this  side, 
and  some  on  that  side:  and  they  smote  them,  so  that 
they  let  none  of  them  remain  or  escape. 

23  And  the  king  of  Ai  they  took  alive,  and  brought 
him  to  Joshua. 

which  was  a  flag.  The  Lord  spoke  to  Joshua 
perhaps  here  by  the  high-priest.  The  liers-in-wait 
would  of  course  have  a  watch  looking  out  for  this 
signal,  and  Joshua  would  probably  take  his  place 
on  the  heights  at  the  north,  whence  he  could  easily 
direct  every  movement.  They  might  be  a  mile 
away  from  Joshua,  and  yet  clearly  see  this  signal, 
if  it  were  a  red  flag  on  the  end  of  a  spear. 

Vee.  20.  Power,  Heb.,  "hands."  The  people 
of  Ai  and  Bethel  at  once  saw  the  stratagem,  and 
discovered  that,  instead  of.  being  victors,  they  were 
victims.  Ability  to  escape,  moreover,  was  taken 
away.  Their  "  hands"  were  gone.  The  Ai  people 
could  not  flee,  and  the  Israelites  stopped  fleeing. 

Yer.  22.  Remain  or  escape^  i.e.^  remain  alive  on 
the  field  or  escape  from  it.  The  King  of  Ai  is 
especially  excepted,  but  even  he  only  for  a  short 
season. 


80  COMMENTAHY  ON 

24  And  it  came  to  pass  when  Israel  had  made  an  end 
of  slaying  all  the  inhabitants  of  Ai  in  the  field,  in  the 
wilderness  wherein  they  chased  them,  and  when  they 
were  all  fallen  on  the  edge  of  the  sword,  until  they 
were  consumed,  that  all  the  Israelites  returned  unto 
Ai,  and  smote  it  with  the  edge  of  the  sword. 

25  And  so  it  was,  that  all  that  fell  that  day,  both  of 
men  and  women,  Jt'ere  twelve  thousand,  even  all  the  men 
of  Ai. 

26  For  Joshua  drew  not  his  hand  back  wherewith 
he  stretched  out  the  spear,  until  he  had  utterly  destroyed 
all  the  inhabitants  of  Ai. 

27  Only  the  cattle  and  the  spoil  of  that  city  Israel 
took  for  a  prey  unto  themselves,  accordhig  unto  the 
word  of  the  Lord  which  he  commanded  Joshua. 

28  And  Joshua  burnt  Ai,  and  made  it  an  heap  for 
ever,  even  a  desolation  unto  this  day. 

29  And  the  king  of  Ai  he  hanged  on  a  tree  until 
even-tide:  and  as  soon  as  the  sun  was  down,  Joshua 
commanded  that  they  should  take  his  carcass  down 
from  the  tree,  and  cast  it  at  the  entering  of  the  gate  of 
the  city,  and  raise  thereon  a  great  heap  of  stones,  that 
remaineth  unto  this  day. 

Vee.  25.  Twelve  thousand.  These  represented 
Ai,  but  all  Bethel's  warriors  must  have  perished 
also,  and  we  must  count  them  as  at  least  three 
thousand  more. 

Ver.  26.  I)reiv  not  Ms  hand  hack.  Comp.  Moses 
at  Rephidim   (Ex.  xvii.   12). 

Utterly  destroyed.  The  Hebrew  verb  of  cherem. 

Ver.  29.  A  tree.  Lit.,  "  the  tree,"  ^.e.,  the  exe- 
cution-tree, the  prepared  gallows.  The  phrase  is 
used  for  crucifying,  impaling,  and  hanging.  It  is 
probable  that  the  king  of  Ai  was  slain  Avith  the 
sword  and  then  hanged  upon  a  gallows.  It  was 
designed  that  Israel  should  count  all  Canaanites  as 
utterly  defiled,  and  hence  every  means  was  taken 
to  express  their  defilement.     (See  Appendix.) 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  vni.  81 

Wntil  eventide.     See  Deut.  xxi.  22,  23. 
Heai?  of  stones.     See  on  chap.  vii.  26. 

4.    The  Covenant  renewed  at  Shechem. 

Ver.  30-35.    It   lias   been  earnestly  contended 
that  these  verses  are  out  of  place,  and  should  come 
in  after  the  eleventh  chapter,  when  the  whole  land 
had  been  conquered.     The  only  external  evidence 
in  favor  of  any  disjDlacement  is  in  the  fact  that  in 
the  LXX  these  verses  are  inserted  after  the  second 
verse  of  the  next  chapter,  but  that  slight  alteration 
of  place  does  not  touch  the  argument  for  the  trans- 
fer to  chap.  xi.     We  can  see  no  substantial  reason 
for  supposing  an}^  error  in  the  present  order.     The 
fall  of  Ai,  with  all  that  had  preceded  it  at  Jordan 
and   Jericho,  had  paralyzed  the   entire  people  of 
Canaan,  and  had   made   the   time  most  fitting  for 
the   entire   mass  of    Israel  to    move   up  from  the 
Jordan  valley  to  the  exact  centre    of  .the   land, 
which  Moses  had   designated  as  the  place  Avhere 
Israel  should  consecrate  the  land  and  themselves 
to   Jehovah.      (See   Deut.    chap,    xxvii.)       From 
Jericho,  by  Ai  and  the  Mukhna,  to  Gerizim  is  a 
distance  of  thirty-three  miles,  and  by  the  Ghor  to 
Wady  Ahmar,  and  thence  by  what  we  may  call  the 
high  road  to  Gerizim,  is  a  distance  of  less  than 
thirty  miles.     The  whole  host  of  Israel  could  have 
made  that  journey  in  three  days.     Moreover,  if  we 
look  over  the  list  of  kings  whom  Joshua  conquered, 
as   given   in   the    twelfth    chapter,   we   find   that, 
between  Ai  and  the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon  or 
4*  F 


82  COMMENTARY   ON 

30  ^  Then  Joshua  built  an  altar  unto  the  Lord 
God  of  Israel  in  mount  Ebal, 

31  As  Moses  the  servant  of  the  Lord  commanded 
the  children  of  Israel,  as  it  is  written  in  the  book  of  the 
law  of  Moses,  an  altar  of  whole  stones,  over  which  no 
man  hath  lifted  up  any  iron:  and  they  oliered  thereon 
burnt-offerings  unto  the  Loud,  and  sacrificed  peace- 
offerings. 

Jezreel,  there  were  none^  showing  that  by  some 
providential  calamity  (referred  to  in  Deut.vii.  20, 
and  Josh.  xxiv.  12,  as  "  the  hornet")  that  central 
portion  of  the  land  had  been  stripped  of  its  inhab- 
itants in  preparation  for  Israel's  solemn  service  at 
Gerizim  and  Ebal. 

Ver.  30.  Then,  i.e.,  after  the  fall  of  Ai.  The 
details  of  the  altar  are  given  in  the  directions  in 
Deut.  xxvii.  The  altar  was  to  be  bnilt  of  great 
unhewn  stones,  and  then  a  coating  of  plaster  was 
to  be  put  upon  them,  on  which  were  to  be  written 
all  the  words  of  the  first  twenty-six  chapters  of 
Deuteronomy.  On  this  altar,  which  was  to  be 
erected  on  Mount  Ebal,  peace  offerings  were  to 
be  offered,  as  well  as  the  burnt  offerings. 

Mount  Ehal  stands  north  of  Mount  Gerizim,  a 
very  narrow  valley  running  between,  in  which  is 
squeezed  the  modern  Nablus,the  ancient  Shechem. 
This  valley  runs  eastward  into  the  north-western 
corner  of  the  striking  and  beautiful  plain  of 
Mukhna.  Mount  Gerizim  is  2,650,  and  Mount 
Ebal  2,700  feet  above  the  Mediterranean,  but  they 
are  not  much  more  than  1,000  feet  above  the  valley. 
If  you  draw  a  line  from  the  latitude  of  Sid  on  to 
the  latitude  of  (the  supposed)  Kadesh-barnea,  these 


JOSHUA,  OHAP.  vni.  83 

32  ^  And  he  wrote  there  upon  the  stones  a  copy  of 
the  law  of  Moses,  which  he  wrote  in  the  presence  of  the 
children  of  Israel. 

08  And  all  Israel,  and  their  elders,  and  officers,  and 
their  judges,  stood  on  this  side  the  ark  and  on  that 
side  before  the  priests  the  Levites,  which  bare  the  ark 
of  the  covenant  of  the  Loud,  as  well  the  stranger,  as 
he  that  was  born  among  them  ;  half  of  them  over 
against  mount  Gerizim,  and  half  of  them  over  against 
mount  Ebal;  as  Moses  the  servant  of  the  Lord  had 
commanded  before,  that  they  should  bless  the  people 
of  Israel. 

mountains  are  exactly  at  the  half-way  point.  If 
you  draw  another  line  from  the  Mediterranean  Sea 
to  the  top  of  the  Gilead  range,  again  these  moun- 
tains are  at  the  half-way  point.  Thus  the  spot 
taken  for  this  grand  ceremony  was  exactly  in  the 
centre  of  the  new  country  of  the  tribes. 

Vek.  32.  A  copy  of  the  law  of  Moses^  which  he 
wrote  in  the  presence  of  the  children  of  Israel.  This 
should  read,  "the  second  of  the  law,"  &c.,  i.e.^ 
Deuteronomy.  This  was  the  law  which  Moses 
wrote  "  in  the  presence  of  the  children  of  Israel." 
It  was  probably  the  first  twenty-six  chapters,  in- 
cluding all  that  was  written  up  to  the  blessings  and 
curses,  as  law  to  be  read.  (See  Deut.  xxvii.  3,  8.) 
The  other  chapters,  however,  may  also  be  included. 

Ver.  33.  The  priests  the  Levites.  (See  in  chap, 
iii.  3.) 

The  stranger.  Of  course,  the  proselyte.  (See 
Deut.  xxxi.  12.) 

Should  bless.  The  word  "  barak  "  seems  to  be 
used  here  in  its  double  meaning  of  both  blessing 
and  cursing.     Six  tribes  on  the  Gerizim  side  were 


84  cojVoientary  on 

34  And  afterward  he  read  all  the  words  of  the  law, 
the  blessings  and  cursings,  according  to  all  that  is 
written  in  the  book  of  the  law. 

35  There  was  not  a  word  of  all  that  IMoses  com- 
manded, which  Joshua  read  not  before  all  the  congre- 
gation of  Israel,  with  the  women,  and  the  little  ones, 
and  the  strangers  that  were  conversant  among  them. 

to  bless  the  people,  and  the  other  six  on  the  Eba^ 
side  were  to  utter  the  curses  (Deut.  xxvii.  12,  13). 
Ver.  34.  Joshua  seems  to  have  been  preceded 
by  the  Levites  (Deut.  xxvii.  14),  who  uttered  the 
curses.  Then  he  read  aloud  the  blessings  and  curses 
of  the  twenty-eighth  chapter  of  Deuteronomy.  The 
six  tribes  on  either  side  may  have  only  symboli- 
cally represented  the  blessings  and  curses,  or  may 
have  repeated  them  after  Joshua,  or  only  have 
responded  "amen"  to  them.  It  is  hard  to  under 
stand  exactly  how  six  of  them  were  ''  to  bless 
the  people,"  and  the  other  six  were  "for  a  curs- 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   IX.  85 


CHAPTER  IX. 

1  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  all  the  kings  which 
were  on  this  side  Jordan,  in  the  hills,  and  in  the  val- 
leys, and  in  all  the  coasts  of  the  great  sea  over  against 
Lebanon,  the  Ilittite,  and  the  Amorite,  the  Canaan- 
ite,  the  Perizzite,  the  Hivite,  and  the  Jebusite  heard 
thereof; 

5.   The  Craft  of  the  Giheonites. 

Yer.  1.  On  this  side  Jordan.  Lit.,  "beyond 
Jordan."  They  were  "  beyond  Jordan  "  to  Israel's 
start  in  the  invasion,  z.e.,  to  the  Moabitish  country. 

In  the  hills.  The  mountain  region,  or  backbone 
of  Palestine,  known  afterward  as  the  hill-country 
of  Judah,  Mount  Ephraim,  &c. 

In  the  valleys.  Heb.,  '*  in  the  Shephelah,"  the 
name  especially  given  to  the  great  Philistine  plain. 
It  is  from  a  root  which  means  "low." 

In  all  the  coasts  of  the  great  sea  over  against 
Lebanon.  The  strip  of  low  coast  land  from  Car- 
mel  to  Ras  en-Nakura.  The  Girgashite  is  left  out 
of  this  list.  The  Jewish  tradition,  sustained  by 
Procopius,  is  that  they  fled  the  country  on  Joshua's 
approach  and  settled  in  north-western  Africa. 
Josh.  xxiv.  11,  shows  that  if  they  did  thus  flee, 
they  fought  against  Israel  with  the  other  tribes 
of  Canaan  before  their  flight. 


86 


COMMENTARY   ON 


2  That  they  gathered  themselves  together,  to  fight 
■with  Joshua  and  with  Israel,  ^Yith  one  accord. 

3  *[[  And  when  the  inhabitants  of  Gibeon  heard  what 
Joshua  had  done  unto  Jericho  and  to  Ai, 

Ver.  2.  This  gathering  was  a  reaction  after  the 
paralysis  caused  by  the  destruction  of  Jericho  and 
Ai.  It  may  have  been  consummated  as  much  as 
a  month  after  the  taking  of  Ai. 

Vek.  3.  Giheon  is  afraid  to  enter  into  the  con- 
federacy.    It  was  the  head  city  of  a  Hivite  tetra- 


Ai. 

4 


polis,  to  wit,  Gibeon,  Chephirah,  Beeroth,  and 
Kirjath-jearim  (ver.  17),  forming  a  republic  or 
oligarchy  in  the  midst  of  the  monarchies  of  Pal- 
estine. On  this  account  it  was  easier  and  more 
natural  fcr  Gibeon  to  act  independently  of  the 
other  principalities.      Gibeon  was  only  a  little  more 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.    IX.  87 

4  They  did  work  wilily,  and  went  and  made  as  if 
they  had  been  ambassadors,  and  took  old  sacks  upon 
their  asses,  and  wine-bottles,  old,  and  rent,  and 
bound  up; 

than  six  miles  south-west  of  Ai.  CliepMrah  was 
five  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Gibeon.  Beeroth 
was  four  miles  north  of  Gibeon.  Kirj ath-j earim 
was  about  five  miles  south-west  of  Gibeon,  and 
two  and  a  half  miles  south  of  Chephirah.  The 
sites  of  all  these  places  are  identified. 

The  sketch  on  page  86  shows  the  proportionate 
relations  in  distance  and  direction  between  the  Gib- 
eonite  cities,  Ai  and  Jerusalem.  Beeroth,  one  of 
their  cities,  was  only  three  miles  from  Ai.  The  dis- 
trict of  the  Gibeonite  tetrapolis  would  be  about 
eleven  miles  in  length  and  half  that  in  breadth. 
The  nearest  roj'-al  town  to  the  district  (after  Ai 
•and  Bethel)  would  be  Jerusalem,  not  much  more 
than  five  miles  from  Gibeon. 

Ver.  4.  They  did  ivork  wilily.  Lit.,  "they  also 
wrought  with  craft."  That  is,  these  Gibeonites, 
like  all  the  other  inhabitants  of  Canaan,  wrought 
against  Israel ;  but  while  the  others  did  it  with 
arms,  these  did  it  with  craft.  It  shows  that  there 
was  no  recognition  of  Jehovah  (as  in  Rahab's  case), 
but  simply  a  cunning  act  to  overreach  Joshua. 
Rahab's  example  would,  doubtless,  have  been 
followed  by  Rahab's  sequel.  But  the  Gibeonites 
became  servants,  while  Rahab  became  the  ances- 
tress of  David  and  Christ.  There  is  a  close  con- 
nection between  second  and  third  verses. 

Wine-bottles,     Rather,  "  skins  of  wine." 


88  COMMENTARY  ON 

5  And  old  shoes  and  clouted  upon  their  feet,  and 
old  garments  upon  them;  and  all  the  bread  of  their 
provision  was  dry  and  mouldy. 

6  And  they  went  to  Joshua  unto  the  camp  at  Gilgal, 
and  said  unto  him,  and  to  the  men  of  Israel,  AVe  be 
come  from  a  far  country;  now  therefore  make  ye  a 
league  with  us. 

Ver.  5.   Clouted^  z.e.,  patched. 

Mouldy.     Lit.,  "  speckled." 

Ver.  6.  G-ilgal.  This  could  not  be  the  Gilgal 
down  by  Jordan,  so  far  away  from  the  centre  to 
which  Joshua  had  penetrated;  but  the  Gilgal  of 
2  Kings  ii.  1,  which  was  higher  than  Bethel  (2 
Kings  ii.  2).  It  is  this  second  Gilgal  which,  we 
think,  became  so  famous  in  Samuel's  day,  and 
which  became  a  centre  of  idolatry.  (See  1  Sam.  vii. 
16,  X.  8,  xi.  14,  xiii.  7,  8,  xv.  33;  Hos.  iv.  15, 
ix.  15,  xii.  11 ;  Amos  iv.  4,  v.  5.)  It  was  the 
great  head-quarters  of  Israel,  until  the  tabernacle 
was  pitched  at  Shiloh,  which  was  not  far  off. 
Hence  it  became  a  place  of  traditional  sanctity 
to  after  generations,  and  idolatry  readily  erected 
there  one  of  its  shrines,  as  at  Bethel.  This  view 
is  taken  by  Keil,  and  his  arguments  are  convinc- 
ing. Van  de  Velde  holds  the  same.  This  second 
Gilgal  bears  still  the  old  name  (Jiljilieh),  and  is 
situated  on  a  commanding  height  fifteen  miles  due 
north  of  Jerusalem,  three  miles  west  of  the  high 
northern  road,  and  about  seven  miles  north  and 
west  of  Ai.  It  is  also  about  fourteen  miles  south 
of  Mount  Gerizim.  "  It  is  near  the  western  brow 
of  the  high  mountain  tract,  and  affords  an  exten- 


JOSHUA,   CHApi   IX.  89 

7  And  the  men  of  Israel  said  unto  the  Hivites, 
Peradventure  ye  dwell  among  us;  and  how  shall  we 
make  a  league  with  you? 

8  And  they  said  unto  Joshua,  We  are  thy  servants. 
And  Joshua "^ said  unto  them,  Who  are  yeV  and  from 
whence  come  ye? 

9  And  they  said  unto  him,  From  a  very  far  country 
thy  servants  are  come,  because  of  the  name  of  the 
Lord  thy  God:  for  we  have  heard  the  fame  of  him, 
and  all  that  he  did  in  Egypt, 

10  And  all  that  he  did  to  the  two  kings  of  the 
Amorites,  that  icere  beyond  Jordan,  to  Sihon  king  of 
Heshbon,  and  to  Og  king  of  Bashan,  which  was  at 
Ashtaroth. 

11  \V  herefore  our  elders,  and  all  the  inhabitants  of 

sive  yiew  over  tlie  great  lower  plain  and  the  sea, 
while  at  the  same  time  the  mountains  of  Gilead 
are  seen  in  the  east."  (Robinson.)  It  also  has 
distant  Hermon  in  sight.  No  more  suitable  spot 
could  have  been  selected  for  Israel's  central  post 
during  the  process  of  the  conquest. 

Ver.  7.  Peradventure  ye  dwell  among  us ;  and 
how  shall  we  make  a  league  with  you  ?  (See  Ex. 
xxiii.  32;  Deut.  vii.  2,  xx.  16.)  No  league  could 
be  made  with  the  people  of  Canaan.  But  this 
does  not  forbid  the  accepting  any  as  proselytes. 
There  may  have  been  many  such,  like  Rahab's 
family. 

Ver.  8.  We  are  thy  servants.  A  formula  of 
oriental  politeness. 

Ver.  9,  10.  All  that  he  did  in  Egypt,  and  all 
that  he  did  to  the  two  kings  of  the  Amorites.  They 
adroitly  say  nothing  of  the  crossing  of  the  Jordan, 
or  of  Jericho  and  Ai,  as  if  these  later  matters  had 
not  reached  their  distant  home  when  they  left. 


90  COMMENTARY  ON 

our  country  spake  to  us,  saying,  Take  victuals  with 
you  for  the  journey,  and  go  to  meet  them,  and  say 
unto  them.  We  are  your  servants:  therefore  now  make 
ye  a  league  with  us: 

12  This  our  bread  we  took  hot  /or  our  provision  out 
of  our  houses  on  the  day  we  came  forth  to  go  unto  you; 
but  now,  behold,  it  is  dry,  and  it  is  mouldy: 

13  And  these  bottles  of  wine  which  we  filled,  were 
new,  and  behold  they  be  rent:  and  these  our  garments 
and  our  shoes  are  become  old  by  reason  of  the  very 
long  journey. 

14  And  the  men  took  of  their  victuals,  and  asked 
not  counsel  at  the  mouth  of  the  Lord. 

15  And  Joshua  made  peace  with  them,  and  made  a 
league  with  them,  to  let  them  live:  and  the  princes  of 
the  congregation  sware  unto  them. 

16  ^  And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  end  of  three  days 
after  they  had  made  a  league  with  them,  that  they 
heard  that  they  were  their  neighbours,  and  that  they 
dwelt  among  them. 

17  And  the  children  of  Israel  journeyed,  and  came 
unto  their  cities  on  the  third  day.  Now  their  cities 
luere  Gibeon,  and  Chejjhirah,  and  Beeroth,  and  Kirjath- 
jearim. 

18  And  the  children  of  Israel  smote  them  not,  be- 


Yer.  14.  Read,  according  to  the  margin,  they 
received  the  men  hy  reason  of  their  victuals.,  and 
ashed  not  counsel  at  the  mouth  of  the  Lord.  They 
judged  the  case  for  themselves,  and  the  mould}^ 
bread  was  the  criterion,  when,  in  such  an  emer- 
gency, they  should  have  applied  to  the  Urim  and 
Thummim. 

Ver.  17.  On  the  third  day.  That  is  the  same 
as  "  at  the  end  of  three  days,"  in  ver.  16.  The 
armed  men  would  move  from  Gilgal  to  Gibeon 
(about  twelve  miles)  in  the  same  day  on  which 
the  news  was  heard. 

Ver.  18.  The  congregation,  remembering  Achan's 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   IX.  91 

cause  the  princes  of  the  congregation  had  sworn  unto 
them  by  the  Lord  God  of  Israel.  And  all  the  congre- 
gation murmured  against  the  princes. 

19  But  all  the  princes  said  unto  all  the  congregation, 
We  have  sworn  unto  them  by  the  Lord  God  of  Israel: 
now  therefore  we  may  not  touch  them. 

20  This  we  will  do  to  them;  we  will  even  let  them 
live,  lest  wrath  be  upon  us,  because  of  the  oath  which 
we  sware  unto  them. 

21  And  the  princes  said  unto  them,  Let  them  live; 
but  let  them  be  hewers  of  wood,  and  drawers  of  water 
unto  all  the  congregation;  as  the  princes  had  promised 
them. 


sin  and  its  dreadful  consequences,  would  naturally 
fear  that  a  new  sin  and  judgment  were  here  pre- 
sented. 

Ver.  19.  We  may  not  touch  them,  "  Touch  "  in 
the  sense  of  "  slay  "  or  "  smite."     So  the  Heb. 

Ver.  20.  Lest  wrath  he  upon  us.  They  show 
the  people  (through  their  representatives)  that 
God's  wrath,  which,  the  people  feared,  would  be 
experienced  if  the  solemn  oath  was  broken. 

Yer.  21.  They  will  make,  however,  a  clear  in- 
dication of  their  sense  of  error,  and  will  degrade  the 
Hivites  to  be  menial  servants  to  the  congregation. 
The  sin  of  the  princes  was  not  in  keeping  the 
oath,  but  in  making  it.  (Comp.  Ps.  xv.  4.)  Jeho- 
vah's holy  name  was  to  be  honored  among  the 
heathen  by  Israel's  keeping  the  oath  uttered  to 
him.  God,  by  his  dealing  with  Saul's  family  for 
their  slaughter  of  some  of  the  Gibeonites  four 
hundred  years  later  (2  Sam.  xxi.),  puts  the 
seal  of  his  approbation  on  this  decision  of  the 
princes  to  keep  the  oath. 


92  COMMENTAEY  ON 

22  ^  And  Joshua  called  for  them,  and  he  spake  unto 
them,  saying,  "Wherefore  have  ye  beguiled  us,  saying, 
We  are  very  far  from  you;  %vhen  ye  dwell  among  us? 

23  Now  therefore  ye  are  cursed,  and  there  shall  none 
of  you  be  freed  from  being  bond-men,  and  hewers  of 
•wood  and  drawers  of  water  for  the  house  of  my  God. 

24  And  they  answered  Joshua,  and  said.  Because  it 
was  certainly  told  thy  servants,  how  that  the  Lono  thy 
God  commanded  his  servant  Moses  to  give  you  all  the 
land,  and  to  destroy  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  land 
from  before  you,  therefore  we  were  sore  afraid  of  our 
lives  because  of  you,  and  have  done  this  thing. 

25  And  now,  behold,  we  are  in  thine  hand:  as  it 
seemeth  good  and  right  unto  thee  to  do  unto  us,  do. 

26  And  so  did  he  unto  them,  and  delivered  them  out 
of  the  hand  of  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  slew 
them  not. 

27  And  Joshua  made  them  that  day  hewers  of  wood 
and  draw^ers  of  water  for  the  congregation  and  for  the 
altar  of  the  Lord,  even  unto  this  day,  in  the  place 
which  he  should  choose. 

Yer.  22.  Joshua  called  for  them.  The  repre- 
sentative army  of  Israel,  Avith  Joshua  at  its  head, 
had  moved  to  Gibeon,  and  there  Joshua  probably 
summons  the  representatives  of  the  four  cities  and 
tells  them  the  decision  of  Israel  concerning  them. 

Vek.  23.  Cursed.  Heb.,  "  arar,"  and  not  "  cha- 
ram  "  (whence  cherer\i). 

For  the  house  of  my  God,  They  were  to  be  pub- 
lic tabernacle  menials,  and  not  private  slaves. 

Ver.  27.  Hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water. 
In  this  low  position,  and  under  constant  ecclesias- 
tical oversight,  they  would  not  tempt  the  people 
of  Israel  to  Canaanitish  sins.  All  open  idolatries 
would  be  prevented.  Doubtless  their  descend- 
ants became  thoroughly  attached  to  the  Jewish 
system.     It  is  generally  supposed  that  the  Neth- 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   IX.  93 

inim  of  later  days  (1  Chron.  ix.  2  ;  Ezra  ii.  43,  &c.) 
were  the  Gibeonites,  so  called  from  the  word 
nathan  (to  give),  used  by  Joshua  in  this  verse, 
"  and  Joshua  made  them  that  day,"  &c.  (lit.,  "  and. 
Joshiisi  ffave  them  that  day,"  &c.). 


94  COMMENTAKY  ON 


CHAPTER  X. 

1  Now  it  came  to  pass,  when  Adoni-zedek  king  of 
Jerusalem  had  heard  how  Joshua  had  taken  Ai,  and 
had  utterly  destroyed  it;  as  he  had  done  to  Jericho 
and  her  king,  so  he  had  done  to  Ai  and  her  king;  and 
how  the  inhabitants  of  Gibeon  had  made  peace  with 
Israel,  and  were  among  them; 

2  That  they  feared  greatly,  because  Gibeon  was  a 
great  city,  as  one  of  the  royal  cities,  and  because  it  teas 
greater  than  Ai,  and  all  the  men  thereof  u-ere  mighty. 

3  Wherefore  Adoni-zedek  king  of  Jerusalem  sent 
unto  Hoham  king  of  Hebron,  and  unto  Piram  king  of 
Jarmuth,  and  unto  Japhia  king  of  Lachish,  and  unto 
Debu'  king  of  Eglon,  saying, 

6.   The  Conquest  of  the  South. 

Ver.  1.  Adoni-zedek.  This  name  (lord  of  right- 
eousness), so  like  to  Melchi-zeclek  (king  of  right- 
eousness), mentioned  in  Gen.  xiv.  18,  as  King  of 
Salem,  has  suggested  the  prevailing  idea  that  Salem 
and  Jerusalem  are  the  same,  and  that  its  kings  for 
five  centuries  had  borne  the  title  of  Melchi-zedek, 
or  Adoni-zedek.  As  the  distance  of  time  is  so 
great,  it  may  be  only  a  coincidence  that  the  word 
zedeJc  should  appear  in  both  these  proper  names. 

Ver.  2.  As  one  of  the  royal  cities.  That  is,  al- 
though it  had  no  king,  but  was  one  of  a  confeder- 
acy of  republican  towns,  yet  it  had  the  power  and 
importance  of  one  of  the  cities  that  had  a  king. 

Ver.  3.  Hebron.,  Jarvmth,   LacJiisJi,   and   JEglon 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.  X.  95 

4  Come  up  unto  me,  and  help  me,  that  we  may  smite 
Gibeon :  for  it  hath  made  peace  with  Joshua  and  with 
the  children  of  Israel. 

were  probably  the  largest,  strongest,  and  most 
imj)ortant  cities  of  southern  Canaan,  and  hence 
the  ting  of  Jerusalem,  the  nearest  royal  city  to 
Joshua's  host,  sends  to  them  for  a  union  of  forces. 
He  was  cut  off  from  all  the  northern  kings  hy 
Joshua's  army. 

Hebron  is  nineteen  miles  south  of  Jerusalem,  on 
the  highest  portion  of  the  mountain  countrj^  It 
was  the  old  Abrahamic  home,  and  in  its  immediate 
vicinity  was  the  cave  of  Machpelah  (Gen.  xxiii.  19). 
The  Hittites  occupied  it  in  Abraham's  day,  but 
now  it  appears  the  Amorites  (ver.  5)  held  it. 
Afterward,  between  Joshua's  capture  of  it  (ver. 
37)  and  Caleb's  occupation  of  it  (chap.  xi.  21, 
and  chap.  xv.  13),  the  Anakim  dwelt  there. 

Jarmuih  is  sixteen  miles  south  of  west  of  Jeru- 
salem, on  the  slope  of  the  mountain  country,  and 
about  eight  miles  from  the  Shephelah,  or  Philistine 
plain.     It  is  fifteen  miles  from  Hebron. 

Lacliish  was  a  ver}^  famous  town  in  later  days, 
as  seen  by  its  mention  in  Assyrian  records,  thirty- 
six  miles  south-west  of  Jerusalem,  on  the  Shephe- 
lah,  and  fourteen  miles  from  Gaza. 

Eglon  was  only  three  miles  east  of  Lachish,  and 
twenty-five  miles  west  of  Hebron. 

Ver.  4.  That  tve  may  S77iite  Gibeon.  Although 
Gibeon  was  their  object,  they  must  have  known 
that  Israel  would  be  also  met.     But  Israel's  name 


96  COMMENTARY   ON 

5  Therefore  the  five  kings  of  the  Amorites,  the 
king  of  Jerusalem,  the  king  of  Hebron,  the  king  of 
Jarmnth,  the  king  of  Lachish,  the  king  of  Eglon,  gath- 
ered themselves  together,  and  ^vent  up,  they  and  all 
their  hosts,  and  encamped  before  Gibeou,  and  made 
war  against  it. 

6  ^  And  the  men  of  Gibeon  sent  unto  Joshua  to  the 
camp  to  Gilgal,  saying,  Slaclj  not  thy  hand  from  thy 
servants;  come  up  to  us  quickly,  and  save  us,  and  help 
us:  for  all  the  kings  of  the  Amorites  that  dwell  in  the 
mountains  are  gathered  together  against  us. 

7  So  Joshua  ascended  from  Gilgal,  he,  and  all  the 
people  of  war  with  him,  and  all  the  mighty  men  of 
valour. 

8  T[  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Joshua,  Fear  them  not: 

had  become  so  formidable,  that  it  was  poHcy  for 
Adoui-zedek  not  to  use  it,  but  to  use  the  name  of 
Gibeon  only  in  forming  the  league. 

Ver.  6.    Gilgal.     See  chap.  ix.  6. 

The  kings  of  the  Amorites  that  divell  in  the 
mountains.  Probably  these  five  kings  possessed 
most  of  the  mountain-country  south  of  Gibeon, 
although  two  of  their  capitals,  Lachish  and  Eglon, 
were  down  in  the  great  plain. 

Ver.  7.  Ascended.  Although  the  mountain  Gil- 
gal (chap.  ix.  6)  is  situated  on  high  ground,  yet 
the  land  rises  as  you  go  south  from  it  to  Gibeon. 

A7id  all  the  mighty  men  of  valour.  It  was  cus- 
tomary in  ancient  armies  to  have  a  select  force  of 
the  most  valiant  reserved  for  special  occasions. 
Such  were  Xerxes'  "  immortals."  These  "  mighty 
men  of  valour  "  seem  to  have  been  such  a  select 
battalion.  Joshua  foresaw  that  a  great  and  deci- 
sive battle  was  at  hand. 

Ver.  8.  A  new  strengthening  of  Joshua's  heart 


JOSHUA,    CHAP.    X.  97 

for  I  have  delivered  them  into  thine  hand;  there  shall 
not  a  man  of  them  stand  before  thee. 

9  Joshua  therefore  came  unto  them  suddenly,  and 
went  up  from  Gilgal  all  night. 

10  And  the  Lord  discomfited  them  before  Israel, 
and  slew  them  with  a  great  slaughter  at  Gibeon,  and 
chased  them  along  the  way  that  goeth  up  to  Beth-horon, 
and  smote  them  to  Azekah,  and  unto  Makkedah. 

is  given  by  God,  probably  through  the  high-priest 
and  the  Urim. 

Ver.  9.  Joshua  therefore.  Notice  how  the 
"  therefore  "  is  introduced.  The  word  is  not  in 
the  Hebrew,  but  it  is  implied.  Joshua,  when 
assured  of  success,  uses  every  precaution.  This  is 
the  process  of  a  true  faith.  ^ 

All  night.  They  could  easily  reach  Gibeon 
Ctwelve  miles  from  Gilgal)  in  one  night. 

Ver.  10.  The  great  battle  was  fought  on  the 
beautiful  basin  below  the  hill  of  Gibeon,  and  on  its 
west  side.  The  pursuit  was  down  the  remarkable 
pass  of  Beth-horon. 

Azekah  and  Makkedah^  although  not  identified, 
are  generally  supposed  to  be  near  Wady  Sumt,  and 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Jarmuth.  (The  kings, 
after  reaching  the  plain,  would  flee  toward  their 
cities.)  If  so,  the  pursuit  must  have  been  for 
thirty  miles  from  the  battle-field.  We  must  give 
at  least  ten  hours  for  this.  If  the  battle  were 
joined  at  six  in  the  morning,  and  speedily  decided 
by  the  flight  of  the  Amorites,  we  cannot  put  the 
arrival  at  Makkedah  of  the  pursued  and  pursuers 
before  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Now,  if 
we   are  to  take  "that  day"  in  ver.   28   literally, 

5  G 


98  COMMENTAKY  ON 

11  And  it  came  to  pass  as  they  fled  from  before  Israel, 
and  were  in  the  going  down  to  Beth-horon,  that  the 
Lord  cast  down  great  stones  from  heaven  upon  them 
unto  Azekah,  and  they  died:  they  were  more  which  died 
■with  hailstones  than  they  w^hom  the  children  of  Israel 
slew  with  the  sword. 


then  the  capture  of  Makkedah  must  have  been 
in  the  evening  of  that  same  eventful  day.  But  we 
need  not  press  that  phrase.  "  That  day  "  may  sig- 
nify "  at  that  juncture,"  or,  generally,  "  at  that 
time." 

Ver.  11.  The  going  down  to  Beth-horon.  This  is 
the  remarkable  pass  between  Beit  Ur  el-Tahta  and 
Beit  Ur  el-Foka,  lying  west  from  Gibeon. 

Unto  Azekah.  As  Azekah  was  one  of  the  ter- 
mini of  the  flight,  the  miraculous  hail-storm  fol- 
lowed the  pursued  for  nearly  the  whole  of  the  long 
flight,  while  Israel  followed  in  safety. 

Ver.  12-14.  These  verses  have  given  rise  to  a 
great  amount  of  adverse  criticism.  Some  rejecting 
them  as  an  interpolation,  others  considering  them 
as  a  mere  quotation  from  an  imaginative  poem,  and 
still  others  using  them  as  arguments  against  the 
truth  of  the  Scriptures.  The  fact  that  it  is  intro- 
duced after  the  description  of  the  flight  to  Azekah 
does  not  prove  it  an  interpolation.  That  manner 
of  writing  an  historical  narrative  is  eminently 
Hebraic.  It  is  not  a  mere  quotation,  but,  if  there 
is  a  quotation,  it  is  followed  by  the  sacred  writer's 
endorsement  in  verses  13  and  14.  And  why 
should  not  God,  through  Joshua,  perform  this 
miracle,  as  well  as  that  of  the  stopping  of  the  tern- 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   X.  99 

12  ^  Then  spake  Joshua  to  the  Lord  la  the  day 
when  the  Lord  delivered  up  the  Amorites  before  the 
children  of  Israel,  and  he  said  in  the  sight  of  Israel, 
Sun,  stand  thou  still  upon  Gibeon,  and  thou  Moon,  in 
the  valley  of  Ajalon. 

pest  on  the  lake  of  Galilee,  or  that  of  bringing  the 
shadow  ten  degrees  backward  on  the  dial  of  Ahaz  ? 
(2  Ki.  XX.  11).  The  favorite  argument  of  the 
sceptic  is  founded  on  the  fact  that  the  command  for 
the  sun  to  stand  still  implies  a  false  view  of  the 
motions  of  the  heavenly  bodies.  This  objection 
is  very  puerile  in  any  one  who  daily  talks  of  the 
sun  rising  and  setting.  The  language,  "  stand 
still,"  is  phenomenal,  and  the  phenomenon  may 
have  occurred  by  some  action  of  God  through  the 
laws  of  refraction. 

Ver.  12.  Sun  —  upon  Giheon  —  moon^  in  the 
valley  of  Ajalon,  Gibeon  was  east  of  the  battle- 
field, Ajalon  was  west.  So  it  must  have  been  in 
the  morning,*  at  the  beginning  of  the  flight,  say  at 
seven  o'clock,  that  the  sun  and  moon  were  ordered 
to  occupy  their  present  positions  (phenomenally). 
This  command  was  made  known  to  the  army  (in  the 
sight  of  Israel)^  and  its  fulfilment  must  have  been  a 
grand  encouragement  all  that  day.  When  the  final 
scene  occurred  at  Makkedah,  at  (say)  five  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  then,  if  not  before,  the  refrac- 
tion may  have  ceased  and  the  two  heavenly  bodies 

*  It  must  have  been  several  days  after  full  moon,  probably  the 
first  full  moon  after  the  passover  at  Gilgal ;  that  is,  about  five 
weeks  after  that  passover,  and  in  the  sixth  week  after  crossing  the 
Jordan. 


100  COMMENTAEY  ON 

13  And  the  sun  stood  still,  and  the  moon  stayed, 
until  the  people  had  avenged  themselves  upon  their  ene- 
mies. Is  not  this  written  in  the  book  of  Jasher?  So 
the  sun  stood  still  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  and  hasted 
not  to  go  down  about  a  whole  day. 

14  And  there  was  no  day  like  that  before  it  or  after 
it,  that  the  Lord  hearkened  unto  the  voice  of  a  man: 
for  the  Lord  fought  for  Israel. 

taken  their  normal  phenomenal  relation  to  Israel, 
the  moon  having  disappeared  and  the  sun  shining 
forth  from  the  western  horizon.  It  does  not  appear 
that  the  day  was  lengthened,  but  only  that  these 
two  heavenly  bodies  seemed  motionless  for  many 
hours.  "  The  sun  stood  still  in  the  midst  (or  *  the 
half  part ')  of  heaven,"  i.e.,  did  not  cross  over  to 
the  other  half,  "  and  hasted  not  to  go  down  like 
a  complete  day.''''  The  Hebrew  as  naturally  takes 
this  meaning  as  "  about  a  whole  day."  In  the 
ordering  of  the  miracle,  note  that  "  Joshua  spoke 
to  the  Lord."  The  command  was  an  inspired 
prayer.     (See  Appendix.) 

Ver.  14.  There  was  no  such  day,  as  the  result 
of  the  Lord's  hearing  man's  prayer.  This  is  the 
meaning  of  this  verse.  The  Lord  often  heard  and 
answered  prayer  by  miraculous  interference  before 
this  and  after  this,  but  he  never  before  or  after  so 
marked  the  day  in  its  aspect  as  he  did  this,  at  the 
prayer  of  man.  The  Book  of  Jasher  (or  "  the 
Upright  One  ")  is  mentioned  also  in  2  Sam.  i.  18, 
and  was,  perhaps,  one  of  the  sacred  poems  which 
God,  in  his  providence,  has  caused  to  disappear. 
There  are  other  books,  like  those  of  Iddo,  of  Gad, 
&c.,  referred  to  in  the  Scriptures  which  may  have 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   X.  101 

15  ^  And  Joshua  returned,  and  all  Israel  with  him, 
unto  the  camp  to  Gilgal. 

16  But  these  five  kings  fled,  and  hid  themselves  in  a 
cave  at  Makkedah. 

17  And  it  was  told  Joshua,  saying,  The  five  kings 
are  found  hid  in  a  cave  at  Makkedah. 

18  And  Joshua  said,  Roll  great  stones  upon  the 
mouth  of  the  cave,  and  set  men  by  it  for  to  keep 
them: 

19  And  stay  ye  not,  hut  pursue  after  your  enemies, 
and  smite  the  hindmost  of  them;  suffer  them  not  to 
enter  into  their  cities:  for  the  Lord  your  God  hath 
delivered  them  into  your  hand. 

20  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Joshua  and  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  had  made  an  end  of  slaying  them  with  a 
very  great  slaughter,  till  they  were  consumed,  that  the 
rest  which  remained  of  them  entered  into  fenced  cities. 

21  And  all  the  people  returned  to  the  camp  to 
Joshua  at  Makkedah  in  peace :  none  moved  his  tongue 
against  any  of  the  children  of  Israel. 

served  their  purpose  prior  to  the  Babylonian  cap- 
tivity, and  were  then  lost.  They  may  have  been 
inspired  works. 

Ver.  15.  This  verse  is  not  out  of  place,*  but  the 
narrative  ends  here,  and  then  is  resumed  in  ver.  16, 
in  order  to  describe  the  sequel  of  the  battle  of 
Gibeon.  This  is  the  Hebraic  style  of  writing. 
The  verse  is  then  repeated  at  ver.  43. 

Ver.  17.  In  a  cave  at  Malchedali,  Summeil,  on 
the  great  plain  by  Wady  Sumt,  which  Van  de  Velde 
considers  Makkedah,  has  a  very  remarkable  cave 
in  its  immediate  vicinity.  The  word  here  has  the 
definite  article,  the  cave  at  Makkedah, 

Ver.  21.  None  moved  his  tongue.  The  defeat 
of  the  confederate  kings  had  been  so  thorough,  the 

*  To  make  it  part  of  the  extract  from  the  Book  of  Jasher  is 
most  unnecessary  and  harsh. 


102  COMMENTARY  ON 

22  Then  said  Joshua,  Open  the  mouth  of  the  cave, 
and  bring  out  those  five  kings  unto  me  out  of  the  cave. 

23  And  they  did  so,  and  brought  forth  those  five 
kings  unto  him  out  of  the  cave,  the  king  of  Jerusalem, 
the  king  of  Hebron,  the  king  of  Jarmuth,  the  king  of 
Lachish,  and  the  king  of  Eglon. 

24  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  they  brought  out  those 
kings  unto  Joshua,  that  Joshua  called  for  all  the  men 
of  Israel,  and  said  unto  the  captains  of  the  men  of  war 
which  went  with  him,  Come  near,  put  your  feet  upon 
the  necks  of  these  kings.  And  they  came  near,  and 
put  their  feet  upon  the  necks  of  them. 

25  And  Joshua  said  unto  them,  Fear  not,  nor  be 
dismayed,  be  strong  and  of  good  courage:  for  thus  shall 
the  Lord  do  to  all  your  enemies  against  whom  ye  fight. 

26  And  afterward  Joshua  smote  them,  and  slew 
them,  and  hanged  them  on  five  trees:  and  they  were 
hanging  upon  the  trees  until  the  evening. 

27  And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  time  of  the  going 
down  of  the  sun,  that  Joshua  commanded,  and  they 

entire  land  ceased  to  offer  further  offensive  oppo- 
sition. 

Ver.  24.  All  the  men  of  Israel^  i.e.,  all  the  Is- 
raelitish  army. 

JPut  your  feet  upon  the  nechs  of  these  kings.  A  sig- 
nificant Oriental  act  to  encourage  Israel,  a  visible 
pledge  that  they  should  conquer  all  their  foes. 

Ver.  25.  Fear  not,  &c.  Joshua  thus  reassures 
Israel,  who  had  probably  never  fully  regained 
confidence  since  the  disaster  before  Ai. 

Ver.  26.  The  hanging  was  a  mark  of  cursing 
from  God,  an  exhibition  of  their  own  stewardship 
under  him.     (See  Deut.  xxi.  23.) 

Until  the  evening.  (See  the  verse  above  cited 
from  Deuteronomy.) 

Ver.  27.  Until  the  very  day.  (See  note  on  chap, 
vii.  26.) 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   X.  103 

took  them  down  off  the  trees,  and  cast  them  into  the 
cave  wherein  they  had  been  hid,  and  laid  great  stones 
in  the  cave's  mouth,  ivhicli  remain  until  this  very  day. 

28  ^  And  that  day  Joshua  took  Makkedah,  and 
smote  it  with  the  edge  of  the  sword,  and  the  king 
thereof  he  utterly  destroyed,  them,  and  all  the  souls 
that  icere  therein  ;  he  let  none  remain  :  and  he  did 
to  the  king  of  Makkedah  as  he  did  unto  the  king  of 
Jericho. 

29  Then  Joshua  passed  from  Makkedah,  and  all 
Israel  with  him,  unto  Libnah,  and  fought  against 
Libnah: 

30  And  the  Lord  delivered  it  also,  and  the  king 
thereof,  into  the  hand  of  Israel:  and  he  smote  it  with 
the  edge  of  the  sword,  and  all  the  souls  that  icere 
therein;  he  let  none  remain  in  it  ;  but  did  unto  the 
king  thereof  as  he  did  imto  the  king  of  Jericho. 

31  T[  And  Joshua  passed  from  Libnah,  and  all  Israel 
with  him,  unto  Lachish,  and  encamped  against  it,  and 
fought  against  it. 

32  And  the  Lord  delivered  Lachish  into  the  hand 
of  Israel,  which  took  it  on  the  second  day,  and  smote  it 
with  the  edge  of  the  sword,  and  all  the  souls  that  were 
therein,  according  to  all  that  he  had  done  to  Libnah. 

33  «f[  Then  lloram  king  of  Gezer  came  up  to  help 
Lachish;  and  Joshua  smote  him  and  his  people,  until 
he  had  left  him  none  remaining. 

Ver.  28.   That  day.     (See  note  on  ver.  10.) 
Ver.  29.  Lihnah  is  conjectured  by  Van  de  Velde 
to  be  at  Arak-el-Menshiyeh  on  Wady  Safieh,  five 
miles  from  his  supposed  site  of  Makkedah. 
Ver.  31.  Lachish.     (See  note  on  ver.  3.) 
Ver.  33.  Gezer  is  the  first  city  that  attempts 
voluntarily  to  withstand  the  tide  of  Israel's  con- 
quests.    The  king  had,  perhaps,  supposed  that  at 
so  strong  a  spot  as  Lachish  a  successful  resistance 
could  be  made,  and  hence  offered  to  reinforce  the 
king  of  Lachish.     Joshua,  after  destroying  Lachish, 
did  not  go  to  Gezer,  but  to  Eglon.     The  king  of 


104  COMMENTAEY  ON 

34  ^  And  from  Lachish  Joshua  passed  unto  Eglon, 
and  all  Israel  with  him:  and  they  encamped  against  it, 
and  fought  against  it: 

35  And  they  took  it  on  that  day,  and  smote  it  "with 
the  edge  of  the  sword,  and  all  the  souls  that  were 
therein  he  utterly  destroyed  that  day,  according  to  all 
that  ho  had  done  to  Lachish. 

36  And  Joshua  went  up  from  Eglon,  and  all  Israel 
with  him,  unto  Hebron;  and  they  fought  against  it: 

37  And  they  took  it.  and  smote  it  with  the  edge  of 
the  sword,  and  the  king  thereof,  and  all  the  cities 
thereof,  and  all  the  souls  that  icere  therein ;  he  left  none 
remaining,  according  to  all  that  he  had  done  to  Eglon, 
but  destroyed  it  utterly,  and  all  the  souls  that  were 
therein. 

38  ^  And  Joshua  returned,  and  all  Israel  with  him, 
to  Debir;  and  fought  against  it: 

39  And  he  took  it,  and  the  king  thereof,  and  all  the 
cities  thereof,  and  they  smote  them  with  the  edge  of 
the  sword,  and  utterly  destroyed  all  the  souls  that  were 
therein;  he  left  none  remaining  :  as  he  had  done  to 
Hebron,  so  he  did  to  Debir,  and  to  the  king  thereof; 
as  he  had  done  also  to  Libnah,  and  to  her  king. 

40  •[[  So  Joshua  smote  all  the  country  of  the  hills, 

Gezer  and  his  army  were  slain  at  Lachish.     Gezer 
was  thirty  miles  north  of  Lachish,  and  near  Joppa. 
Ver.  84.  Eglon.     (See  note  on  ver.  3.) 
Ver.  ZQ.  Hebron.     (See  note  on  ver.  3.) 
Ver.  37.   The  king  thereof .      They  had  a  new 
king  at  Hebron,  after   the   death   of  the   former 
king  at  Makkedah. 

Ver.  88.  Debir.  Dr.  Rosen  identifies  Debir 
with  Dewir-ban,  a  few  miles  west  of  Hebron ;  but 
the  requirements  of  the  grouping  in  chap.  xv.  49, 
would  place  it  farther  south.  Debir  was  after- 
ward reconquered  by  Othniel  (Judg.  i.  11,  12). 

Ver.  40.  The  hills,  i.e.,  the  mountain-country ; 
the  south,  i.e.,  the  Negeb,  or  land  on  the  southern 


JOSHUA,    CHAP.    X.  105 

and  of  the  south,  and  of  the  vale,  and  of  the  springs, 
and  all  their  kings:  he  left  none  remaining,  but  utterly 
destroyed  all  that  breathed,  as  the  Lord  God  of  Israel 
commanded. 

41  And  Joshua  smote  them  from  Kadesh-barnea 
even  unto  Gaza,  and  all  the  country  of  Goshen,  even 
unto  Gibeon. 

42  And  all  these  kings  and  their  land  did  Joshua 
take  at  one  time  ;  because  the  Lord  God  of  Israel 
fought  for  Israel. 

43  And  Joshua  returned,  and  all  Israel  with  him, 
unto  the  camp  to  Gilgal.      i 

slopes  toward  the  desert ;  the  vale,  i.e.,  the  Sheph- 
elah  or  Philistine  plain;  the  springs,  i.e.,  the 
ravines  on  the  borders  between  the  mountain- 
country  and  the  Shephelah. 

All  that  breathed,  i.e.,  all  the  human  beings 
whom  he  found.  Many  escaped  to  hiding-places, 
and  afterward  came  out  and  fought  Israel,  as  the 
Anakim  at  Hebron  and  Kirjath-sepher  (or  Debir), 
who  reconquered  those  towns. 

As  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  commanded.  There 
is  the  foundation  of  the  whole  conquest  and  all 
its  details.  It  was  not  man's  doing,  and  is  not  to 
be  so  judged. 

Yer.  41.  Kadesh-harnea  is  often  spoken  of  as 
the  limit  of  Palestine  to  the  south.  Some  would 
put  it  near  the  Arabah,  south  of  the  Dead  Sea, 
and  others  far  to  the  west  of  the  Arabah.  We 
cannot  be  sure  of  its  exact  site,  but  may  place 
it  with  much  probability  on  a  line  of  latitude  at 
least  twenty  miles  south  of  the  Dead  Sea.  G-aza 
is  a  Avell-known  site  on  the  Mediterranean,  fifty 
miles  south-west  of  Jerusalem.  Goshen  was  prob- 
5* 


106  COMMENTARY  ON 

ably  the  name  given  to  the  southern  portion  of  the 
mountain-region  south  of  Hebron,  between  Hebron 
and  the  Negeb.  It  may  have  some  connection 
with  the  Egyptian  Goshen.  Perhaps  Israel  gave 
it  that  name  in  memory  of  their  Egyptian  home. 
The  region  here  given  as  conquered  by  Joshua 
in  this  southern  campaign  is  about  eighty  miles 
from  Gibeon  southward,  and  sixty  miles  from  the 
Mediterranean  to  the  Dead  Sea  and  Arabah.  We 
may  suppose  several  months  or  even  a  year  to  have 
been  spent  in  this  campaign. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.  XI.  lOT 


CHAPTER  XI. 

1  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Jabin  king  of  Hazor 
had  heard  tho^e  ihinc/s,  that  he  sent  to  Jobab  king  of 
Madon,  and  to  the  king  of  Shimron,  and  to  the  king 
of  Achshaph, 

7.    The  Conquest  of  the  North. 

Ver.  1.  Jabin  king  of  Sazor,  More  than  a 
century  later  another  king  of  this  name  and  place 
appears  (Judg.  iv.  2).  He  made  an  unsuccess- 
ful though  formidable  attempt  to  reconstruct  the 
Canaanitish  rule,  holding  nearly  all  Israel  under 
his  sway  or  fear  for  twenty  years. 

Razor  (as  we  see  by  ver.  10)  was  the  chief  city 
of  the  north,  and  hence  its  king  was  leader  of  the 
northern  confederation  or  alliance.  It  is  doubtful 
where  the  town  stood.  Robinson  thinks  very  near 
to  the  Huleh.  Knobel  puts  it  fifteen  miles  farther 
west,  half-way  across  the  country  toward  the  ladder 
of  Tyre,  at  Huzzur,  which  is  more  likely.  - 

Madon  cannot  be  identified.  Why  its  king 
should  be  named,  as  is  the  king  of  Hazor,  and 
the  names  of  the  other  kings  be  suppressed,  is  only 
to  be  explained  by  supposing  Jabin  and  Jobab  to 
be  men  of  remarkable  distinction  in  statesmanship 
or  war. 


108  COMMENTARY  ON 

2  And  to  the  kings  that  were  on  the  north  of  the 
mountains,  and  of  the  plains  south  of  Cinneroth,  and 
in  the  valley,  and  in  the  borders  of  Dor  on  the  west, 

Shimron  (Shimron-meron  in  chap.  xii.  20)  is 
identified  by  the  Tahnud  with  Semmunieh,  five 
miles  west  of  Nazareth. 

Achshaph  cannot  be  identified;  but  Grove's 
suggestion  of  Haifa  on  the  bay  of  Akka  is  a  good 
one.     I  would  suggest  Iksim,  near  Tantara. 

Yee.  2.  The  kings  that  ivere  on  the  north  of  the 
mountains.  Rather,  the  kings  that  luere  on  the  north 
in  the  mountain  country^  that  is,  the  kings  north  of 
Joshua's  northmost  position  at  Mount  Ebal,  whose 
cities  were  in  the  central  mountain  region  of  Gal- 
ilee. 

And  of  the  plains  south  of  Chinneroth.  Rather, 
and  in  the  Arahah  south  of  Chinneroth,  that  is,  in 
the  Glior  or  Jordan  depression,*  south  of  the  lake 
of  Galilee ;  for  Chinnereth,  or  Chinneroth,  was  the 
town  whence  the  lake  derived  its  name,  and  is  used 
here  for  the  lake  itself. 

And  in  the  valley.  Lit.,  and  in  the  Shephelali^ 
i.e.,  the  Philistine  plain,  referring  to  the  northern 
part  between  the  Nahr  el-Aujeh  and  the  Nahr 
Akhdar. 

And  in  the  borders  of  Dor.  Rather,  and  in  the 
highlands  of  Dor.  From  the  Nahr  Akhdar  north- 
ward the  country  between  the  Carmel  range  and 
the  sea  is  no  longer  the  Shephelah  or  low  plain, 
but  a  region  of  hills.  They  are  here  called  from 
the  city  on  the  coast  "  the  highlands  of  Dor." 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XI.  109 

3  A7id  to  the  Canaanite  on  the  east  and  on  the  west, 
and  to  the  Araorite,  and  the  Hittite,  and  the  Perizzite, 
and  the  Jebusite  in  the  mountains,  and  to  the  Hivite 
under  Hennon  in  the  land  of  Mizpeh. 

4  And  they  went  out,  they  and  all  their  hosts  with 
them,  much  people,  even  as  the  sand  that  is  upon  the 
sea-shore  in  multitude,  with  horses  and  chariots  very 
many. 

5  And  when  all  these  kings  were  met  together,  they 
came  and  pitched  together  at  the  waters  of  Merom,  to 
fight  against  Israel. 

Ver.  3.  And  to  should  be  omitted.  The  enu- 
meration of  this  verse  is  in  apposition  with  the 
foregoing.  The  Canaanite  on  east  and  west  Avere 
the  inhabitants  of  the  Shephelah,  the  Ghor  and 
the  heights  of  Dor  already  referred  to  ;  and  the 
Amorites,  Hittites,  Perizzites,  and  Jebusites  in 
the  mountains  were  the  inhabitants  of  the  moun- 
tains already  referred  to ;  while  the  Hivite  heiieath 
Hermon  in  the  land  of  Mizpeh  was  the  population 
of  the  extreme  north  of  Galilee,  where  the  moun- 
tain-region of  Galilee  begins  to  change  into  the 
lofty  ranges  of  Lebanon.  The  lofty  country  be- 
tween the  Leontes  and  the  Jordan  would  exactly 
suit  this  description,  as  beneath  Hermon,  and  as  a 
land  of  3Iizpeh  (outlook).  The  Girgashite  is  omit- 
ted in  this  enumeration.     (See  note  on  chap.  ix.  1.) 

Ver.  5.  The  waters  of  Mero^n  have  been  gener- 
ally supposed  to  be  the  same  as  Lake  Semechonitis, 
or  the  Huleh,  but  Keil  suggests  that  they  are  the 
waters  of  Wady  Tawham,  wliich  flow  down  from 
the  present  village  of  Meiron,  a  few  miles  west  of 
Safed,  into  the  lake  of  Galilee.  There  is  another 
*'  Maron  "  ten  miles  west  of  the  Huleh,  which  has 


110  CO^niENTARY  ON 

6  ^  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Joshua,  Be  not  afraid 
because  of  them:  for  to-morrow  about  this  time  will  I 
deliver  them  up  all  slain  before  Israel:  thou  shalt  hough 
their  horses,  and  burn  their  chariots  with  fire. 


equal  claims.  Eusebius  puts  Merom  at  twelve 
miles  from  Samaria  and  near  Dotlian.  This  would 
agree  with  the  southern  border  of  the  great  plain 
of  Esdraelon  ;  and  as  this  was  the  natural  spot  to 
check  an  army  advancing  from  the  south,  I  am 
inclined  to  place  this  battle-field  of  Jabin  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Megiddo,  and  to  make  the  waters 
of  Merom  identical  with  the  w^aters  of  Megiddo 
(Judges  V.  19).  This  was  the  spot  where  the 
second  Jabin  was  overcome  by  Barak,  and  where 
Josiah  fought  his  fatal  battle  with  Necho  (2  Ki. 
xxiii.  29).  In  such  a  spot  they  could  use  chariots, 
but  in  the  other  sites  assumed  it  w^ould  be  almost 
impossible. 

Ver.  6.  Be  not  afraid.  This  is  the  fourth  time 
that  by  these  words  God  directly  encouraged  his 
faithful  servant:  first,  when  he  succeeded  to 
Moses'  responsibility  (chap.  i.  6,  7,  9)  ;  secondly, 
when  after  Achan's  sin  and  its  sad  results  a  new 
movement  was  to  be  made  (chap.  viii.  1)  ;  thirdly, 
when  the  southern  alliance  was  formed  against 
Israel  (chap.  x.  8)  ;  and  now,  fourthly,  when  the 
northern  alliance  is  formed.  We  may  add  as  anal- 
ogous the  w^ords  given  by  God  in  his  appearance 
as  a  warrior  to  Joshua  before  the  capture  of  Jeri- 
cho (chap.  vi.  2),  although  this  special  formula  is 
not  ujed.     (See  note  on  chap.  i.  6.) 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XI.  <  111 

7  So  Joshua  came,  and  all  the  people  of  war  with 
him,  against  them  by  the  waters  of  Merom  suddenly, 
and  they  fell  upon  them. 

8  And  the  Lord  delivered  them  into  the  hand  of 
Israel,  who  smote  them,  and  chased  them  unto  great 
Zidon,  and  unto  Misrephoth-maim,  and  unto  the  val- 

Tliou  shalt  hough  their  horses.  To  "  hough  "  is 
to  "hamstring."  But  this  Hebrew  word  "  akar  ''  is 
used  in  2  Sam.  viii.  4,  and  in  1  Chron.  xviii.  4,  of 
chariots  ("  horses  "  are  inserted  in  the  English  ver- 
sion), and  in  Zeph.  ii.  4,  it  is  used  (in  a  paronomasia 
it  is  true)  of  the  city  of  Ekron.  In  the  passage  in 
Gen.  xlix.  6,  if  we  read  shur  instead  of  shor  (as 
is  done  by  some,  and  as  seems  to  be  the  most  prob- 
able reading),  the  word  akar  is  used  of  a  wall.  The 
word  seems  to  be  of  the  same  stock  with  achar 
(compare  the  roots  kanan  and  chanan,  and  many 
other  examples),  and  the  primary  idea  appears  to 
be  "to  strike  "  or  "to  smite."  Proof  is  wanting 
that  the  ordinary  translation  of  "  hough  "  is  a  cor- 
rect one.  It  Avould  have  been  a  difficult  and 
useless  task  to  hamstring  an  enemy's  horse  in 
battle,  when  a  blow  on  the  head  or  body  would 
be  easy  and  efficacious.  And,  moreover,  there 
would  have  been  a  cruelty  in  it  utterly  at  war  with 
the  kindly  care  enjoined  upon  the  Jews  in  the  law 
with  respect  to  dumb  animals  (Deut.  xxv.  4). 

Ver.  7.  TJiei/  fell  upon  them.  With  the  same 
suddenness  and  (as  we  think)  at  the  same  place 
where  Gideon  fell  upon  the  Midianites  two  centu- 
ries later  (Judg.  vii.  21). 

Ver.  8.    Unto  great  Zidon,  and  unto  Blisrephoth" 


112  '  CO:kI]VIENTARY   ON 

ley  of  Mizpeh  eastward;  and  they  smote  them,  until 
they  left  them  none  remaining. 

9  And  Joshua  did  unto  them  as  the  Lord  bade  him: 
he  houghed  their  horses,  and  burnt  their  chariots  with 
fire. 

10  "^  And  Joshua  at  that  time  turned  back,  and 
took  llazor,  and  smote  the  king  thereof  with  the  sword: 
for  Hazor  beforetime  was  the  head  of  all  those  king- 
doms. 

11  And  they  smote  all  the  souls  that  loere  therein 
with  the  edge'  of  the  sword,  utterly  destroying  them : 
there  was  not  any  left  to  breathe:  and  he  burnt  Hazor 
with  fire. 


maim,  and  unto  the  valley  of  ^lizpeh  eastward, 
Zidon,  or  Sidon,  is  called  "  great,"  as  being  at  this 
time  the  chief  of  the  coast  cities.  Tyre  afterward 
attained  to  the  headship.  Sidon  is  eighty-five 
miles  from  our  supposed  site  of  the  battle.  The 
flight  of  the  Canaanites  would  be  into  the  plain  of 
Akka,  and  then  along  the  coast  northward. 

MisrephotTi-inaim  is  placed  by  Schultz,  Thomson, 
and  Van  de  Velde  at  Ain  Mesherfi,  near  the  Ladder 
of  Tyre. 

The  valley  of  Mizpeh  would  be  the  beautiful 
Merj  Ayun  between  the  Leontes  and  the  upper 
Jordan  (Hasbany).  See  on  ver.  3.  Part  of  the 
fugitives  passed  up  along  the  coast  to  Sidon. 
Another  part,  on  reaching  the  Ladder  of  Tyre, 
turned  north-eastwardly  along  that  mountain-wall, 
and  passed  up  to  the  Hermon  region. 

Vek.  10.   Turned  hack  from  the  pursuit  to  Sidon. 

Hazor,     (See  on  ver.  1.) 

Ver.  11.  Burnt  Hazor  with  fire.  Li  ver.  13 
we  are  told  that  Hazor  was  the  only  city  in  the 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XI.  113 

12  And  all  the  cities  of  those  kings,  and  all  the  kings 
of  them,  did  Joshua  take,  and  smote  them  with  the 
edge  of  the  sword,  and  he  utterly  destroyed  them,  as 
Moses  the  servant  of  the  Loud  commanded. 

13  But  as  for  the  cities  that  stood  still  in  their 
strength,  Israel  burned  none  of  them,  save  Ilazor 
only;  that,  did  Joshua  burn. 

14  And  all  the  spoil  of  these  cities,  and  the  cattle, 
the  children  of  Israel  took  for  a  prey  unto  themselves : 
but  every  man  they  smote  with  the  edge  of  the  sword, 
until  they  had  destroyed  them,  neither  left  they  any  to 
breathe. 

15  ^  As  the  Lord  commanded  IMoses  his  servant, 
so  did  Moses  command  Joshua,  and  so  did  Joshua:  he 
left  nothing  undone  of  all  that  the  Lord  commanded 
Moses. 

16  So  Joshua  took  all  that  land,  the  hills,  and  all 
the  south  country,  and  all  the  land  of  Goshen,  and  the 
valley,  and  the  plain,  and  the  mountain  of  Israel,  and 
the  valley  of  the  same ; 

northern  confederacy  that  Joshua  burned.  Its 
position  may  have  been  so  strong,  or  its  prestige 
may  have  been  so  great,  that,  while  the  conquest 
was  in  process,  it  was  wise  to  wipe  the  city  entirely 
away. 

Ver.  12.  As  Moses  the  servant  of  the  Lord 
commanded,  (Num.  xxxiii.  52 ;  Deut.  vii.  2,  xx. 
16,  17.) 

Ver.  13.  That  stood  still  in  their  strength. 
Rather,  that  stood  on  their  hills.  All  these  towns 
were  built,  for  strength  and  security,  on  hills. 

Ver.  15.  The  frequent  repetition  of  God's  order 
is  to  be  carefully  noted,  as  showing  that  Israel's 
action  was  exceptional  and  no  example  to  men  in 
general,  performed  solely  at  God's   command. 

Ver.  16.  (See  on  chap.  ix.  1,  x.  40,  xi.  2.) 
Joshua    captured,  —  1,    the    mountain    country; ; 


114  COMMENT AEY  ON 

17  Even  from  the  mount  Halak,  that  goeth  up  to 
Seir,  even  unto  Baal-gad,  in  the  valley  of  Lebanon 
under  mount  Ilermon:  and  all  their  kings  he  took,  and 
smote  them,  and  slew  them. 

18  Joshua  made  war  a  long  time  with  all  those 
kings. 

2,  the  Negeb  (south  of  the  mountain   country)  ; 

3,  Goshen  (the  southern  slopes  of  the  mountains). 
See  chap.  x.  41 ;  4,  the  Shephelah  (Philistine  coun- 
try) ;  5,  the  Arabah  (Jordan  and  Dead  Sea  valley)  ; 

6,  the  mountain  of  Israel  (the  northern  mountains)  ; 

7,  the  northern  Shephelah  (the  upper  part  of  the 
Shephelah). 

Ver.  17.  The  mount  Ralah^  that  goeth  up  to  Seir, 
Rather,  the  smooth  mountain  that  goeth  up  to  Seir. 
Keil's  suggestion,  that  this  is  the  Azazimeh  moun- 
tain, is  a  good  one.  I  would,  however,  take  its 
southern  edge,  and  not  its  northern,  as  the  limit  of 
Israel's  conquest.  This  mountain  goes  up  to  Seir, 
because  its  southern  face  trends  north-eastwardly 
to  the  Arabah,  where  the  territory  of  Seir  or  Edom 
begins. 

Baal-gad  is  supposed  by  Robinson  to  be  Banias, 
at  the  source  of  the  eastern  branch  of  the  Jordan, 
the  same  spot  known  in  the  New  Testament  as 
Csesarea  Philippi.  Van  de  Velde's  suggestion  of 
Bostra  or  Aisafa,  as  in  the  valley  of  Lebanon,  is 
better. 

Ver.  18.  A  long  time.  We  may  suppose  a  year 
spent  in  the  general  subjugation  of  the  south  and 
a  year  in  the  general  subjugation  of  the  north, 
and  then  a  number  of  years  spent  in  going  over 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XI.  115 

19  There  was  not  a  city  that  made  peace  with  the 
children  of  Israel,  save  the  Hivites  the  inhabitants  of 
Gibeon:  all  other  they  took  in  battle. 

20  For  it  was  of  the  Lord  to  harden  their  hearts, 
that  they  should  come  against  Israel  in  battle,  that  he 
might  destroy  them  utterly,  and  that  they  might  have 
no  favour,  but  that  he  might  destroy  them,  as  the 
Lord  commanded  Moses. 

21  '^  And  at  that  time  came  Joshua  and  cut  off  the 
Anakims  from  the  mountains,  from  Hebron,  from 
Debir,  from  Anab,  and  from  all  the  mountains  of 
Judah,  and  from  all  the  mountains  of  Israel:  Joshua 
destroyed  them  utterly  with  their  cities. 

the  same  ground  more  thoroughly.  Joshua  was 
seven  years  subduing  the  land,  as  we  see  from 
chap.  xiv.  7,  10.  If  he  entered  Palestine  at  the 
age  of  eighty,  and  was  seven  years  in  subduing 
the  land,  he  had  twenty-three  years  of  peaceful 
old  age. 

Ver.  20.  It  was  of  the  Lord  to  harden  their  hearts. 
God  was,  as  judge,  engaged  in  punishing  this  people 
for  their  sins.  He  had  withdrawn  his  grace,  and 
thus  hardened  their  hearts,  as  the  withdrawing  of 
the  sun's  heat  hardens  the  water.  The  hardening 
of  their  hearts  was  the  beginning  of  their  doom. 
(See  Deut.  ii.  30.)  Compare  this  verse  with  ver. 
15. 

Ver.  21.  At  that  time.  That  is,  in  the  "long 
time "  of  ver.  18,  perhaps  during  the  first  seven 
years  after  the  eisodus. 

Anakims.  The  Anakim  were  a  strong  and  war- 
like race,  one  branch  of  which,  represented  by  three 
families  (Sheshai,  Ahiman,  and  Talmai),  dwelt 
in  Hebron  and  the  neighboring  towns.  From 
one   of    their   ancestors,   Arba,    Hebron    received 


116  COMMENTARY  ON 

the  name  of  Kirjath-arba,  or  city  of  Arba  (cbap. 
xiv.  15,  XV.  13,  14).  The  Anakim  were  giants 
(Num.  xiii.  33),  like  the  Rephaim,*  Zuzim,  Emim, 
and  Horim,  east  of  Jordan.  Those  east  of  the 
Jordan  had  been  destroyed  by  various  nations,  Og, 
king  of  Bashan,  having  been  one  of  the  last  of 
them  (Deut.  iii.  11),  at  least  of  the  Rephaim.  The 
Avim,  who  formerly  dwelt  in  the  Philistine  coun- 
try, and  were  destroyed  by  the  Philistines  (Deut. 
ii.  23),  were,  probably,  also  members  of  this  gigan- 
tic race.  We  can  only  conjecture  Avhere,  in  eth- 
nology, to  put  this  race.  They  may  have  been  a 
Cushite  or  a  Turanian  people,  for  different  theories 
would  make  these  two  races  to  have  spread  them- 
selves very  early  over  the  earth. 

Hebron,     (See  on  chap.  x.  3.) 

Dehir.     (See  on  chap.  x.  38.) 

Anah  is  ten  miles  south  of  Hebron. 

The  mou7itains  ofJudah;  the  mountains  of  Israel, 
The  distinction  made  in  the  same  range  by  the 
division  of  the  land  among  the  Israelitish  tribes. 
Long  before  the  division  of  the  people  by  the  two 
kingdoms  in  the  time  of  Rehoboam,  we  find  Judah 
and  Israel  distinguished.  (See  1  Sam.  xi.  8,  and  2 
Sam.  xxiv.  9.)  This  distinction  probably  began  at 
the  first  settlement,  Judah  having  received  the  south 
portion  of  the  land  in  general,  out  of  which  Simeon 
and  Dan  were  to  take  their  portions  afterwards,  while 
the  rest  of  Israel  had  not  received  their  parts. 

*  The  name  Rephaim,  translated  "  giants,"  is  used  sometimes 
generically  for  all  these  races  (Deut.  ii.  11,  20). 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XI.  117 

22  There  was  none  of  the  Anakims  left  in  the  land 
of  the  children  of  Israel;  only  in  Gaza,  in  Gath,  and  in 
Ashdod,  there  remained. 

23  So  Joshua  took  the  whole  land,  according  to  all 
that  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  and  Joshua  gave  it  for 
an  inheritance  unto  Israel  accarding  to  their  divisions 
by  their  tribes.     And  the  land  rested  from  war. 

Yer.  22.  Gaza,  Gath,  Ashdod.  Three  of  the 
Philistine  cities.  Gaza  and  AsJidodare  well  known, 
bearing  still  their  old  names,  lying  on  the  coast. 
Gath  is  probably  the  present  Tell  es-Safieh,  ten 
miles  east  of  Ashdod.  Goliath,  who  was  of  Gath, 
was  perhaps  one  of  this  race  of  Anakim. 

Ver.  23.  And  Joshua  gave  it  for  an  inheritance 
unto  Israel  according  to  their  divisions  hy  their 
tribes.  The  details  are  given  afterwards.  This 
is  only  a  proleptical  statement,  to  close  the  record 
of  the  conquest. 

And  the  land  rested  from  war.  There  were  local 
colhsions,  but  no  general  state  of  war.  Special 
attacks  were  made  on  those  cities  and  strongholds, 
which  the  Israelites  had,  through  a  lack  of  faith, 
failed  to  conquer  at  the  first ;  and  these  desultory 
conflicts  appear  to  have  lasted  many  years,  until 
after  Joshua's  death.  Indeed,  we  find  the  Jebu- 
sites  in  Jerusalem  attacked  and  defeated  by  Israel 
only  in  David's  day  (2  Sam.  v.  7),  four  hundred 
years  later. 


118  COMMENTAEY   ON 


CHAPTER  XII. 

1  Now  these  are  the  kings  of  the  land,  which  the 
children  of  Israel  smote,  and  possessed  their  land  on 
the  other  side  Jordan  toward  the  rising  of  the  sun, 
from  the  river  Arnon,  unto  mount  Hermon,  and  all  the 
plain  on  the  east: 

2  Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites,  who  dwelt  in  Hesh- 
bon,  and  ruled  from  Aroer,  which  is  upon  the  bank  of 
the  river  Arnon.  and  from  the  middle  of  the  river,  and 
from  half  Gilead,  even  unto  the  river  Jabbok,  which  is 
the  border  of  the  children  of  Ammon ; 

8.  Recapitulation. 

Ver.  1.  Tlie  river  Arnon  is  the  present  Llojib, 
flowing  northward  on  the  east  of  Moab  (Judg.  xi. 
18),  and  then  abruptly  turning  westward  near 
Aroer,  and  entering  the  Dead  Sea  about  half-way 
between  its  two  extremities.  It  flows  through  a 
deep  gorge  nearly  two  miles  wide,  having  very 
steep  sides  or  banks.  This  was  Moab's  northern 
boundary,  and  hence  Israel's  southern  boundary,  on 
the  east  of  the  Jordan. 

Mount  Hermon  is  the  southern  terminus  of  the 
Anti-Lebanon  range,  and  the  highest  summit  of  the 
range,  being  about  ten  thousand  feet  in  height. 
It  is  visible  with  its  snowy  crest  over  a  large  part 
of  Palestine.  It  was  the  northern  boundary  of 
Israel  on  the  east  of  the  Jordan. 

Vee.  2.  Aroer^  a  city  on  the  north  cliff  of  the 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XII.  119 

3  And  from  the  plain  to  the  sea  of  Cinneroth  on  the 
east,  and  unto  the  sea  of  the  plain,  even  the  salt  sea 
on  the  east,  the  way  to  Beth-jeshimoth;  and  from  the 
south,  under  Ashdoth-pisgah : 

Arnon  gorge,  still  retaining  the  old  name  in  its 
ruins. 

From  the  middle  of  the  river.  (The  "  from '' 
should  be  omitted.)  This  seems  to  be  a  reduced 
phrase  from  "  the  city  that  is  in  the  midst  of  xhQ 
river"  (chap.  xiii.  9,  16),  and  probably  refers  to 
a  portion  of  Aroer,  or  a  dependent  city  (Ar  of 
Moab,  Num.  xxi.  15,  Isa.  xv.  1)  closely  connected 
with  Aroer,  at  the  fork  of  the  Mojib  and  its  main 
branch,  the  Lejum  or  Enkeileh,  three  miles  from 
the  present  ruins  of  Aroer.  It  was  thus  between 
the  two  parts  of  the  river,  and  marked  the  north- 
eastern corner  of  Moab. 

And  from  half  Gilead.  Rather,  even  half  Gilead, 
Sihon  ruled  over  half  the  Gilead  country  to  the 
river  (or  torrent)  Jabbok,  the  present  Wady  Zerka. 
Gilead  is  the  high  land  between  Moab  and  the  Sea 
of  Galilee. 

Ver.  3.  And  from  the  'plain  to  the  sea  of  Chin- 
neroth  on  the  east.  Rather,  and  the  Arabah  to  the 
sea  of  Chinneroth  (Gennesaret)  eastward  (of  Jor- 
dan). Sihon  ruled  over  the  Arabah  (the  Jordan 
valley)  to  the  sea  of  Chinneroth  and  to  the  sea  of 
the  Arabah,  the  Salt  Sea,  eastward  of  Jordan. 

The  way  to  Beth-jeshimoth^  &c.  This  quahlies  the 
last  expression.  It  might  be  roughly  rendered 
"  Beth-jeshimothwards."      That    is,    the    Jordan 


120  COMMENTARY  ON 

4  ^  And  the  coast  of  Og  king  of  Bashan,  wMc%  was 
of  the  remnant  of  the  giants,  that  dwelt  at  Ashtaroth 
and  at  Edrei, 

valley  extended  on  its  western  side  (in  Sihon's 
possession)  to  the  Salt  Sea,  Beth-jeshimoth  being 
probably  at  or  near  the  junction  of  the  Jordan  and 
the  sea,  and  southward  (not  ''from  the  south") 
around  the  east  corner  of  the  sea  to  a  spot  under 
Ashdoth-pisgah. 

Ashdoth-pisgah  means  "  the  pourings-out  of 
Pisgah ;  "  that  is,  the  torrents  which  flow  down 
from  the  Mount  Pisgah  on  the  eastern  side  of  the 
Dead  Sea,  the  present  Wadys  Ghadeimeh,  Burr- 
hougat,  and  Ghuweir.  The  plain  extends  around 
the  north-east  corner  of  the  sea,  so  as  to  include  a 
strip  of  land  under  these  gorges.  The  word  Ash- 
doth  is  used  in  chap.  xii.  40,  and  in  ver.  8  of  this 
chapter,  for  the  ravines  which  come  down  from  the 
mountain  country  of  Judah  to  the  Shephelah  or 
Philistine  plain,  and  is  translated  in  our  version 
"  springs." 

Ver.  4.  Ashtaroth,  called  "  Ashteroth-Karnaim  " 
in  Gen.  xiv.  5  (if,  indeed,  it  be  the  same  place),  is 
a  few  miles  west  of  the  Lejah,  in  the  latitude  of 
Lake  Semechonitis,  and  about  thirty-five  miles  east 
of  that  water.  Some  think,  and  with  reason,  that 
this  spot  (now  called  Sunamein)  is  Ashteroth- 
Karnaim,  and  that  the  Ashtaroth  of  this  text  is  at 
Afineh,  on  the  cliffs  of  Jebel  Hauran,  and  about  ten 
miles  north-west  of  Salcah. 

Edrei  is  at  the  south-west  angle  of  the  Lejah. 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  xn.  121 

5  And  reigned  in  mount  Hermon,  and  in  Salcah, 
and  in  all  Bashan,  unto  the  border  of  the  Geshurites, 
and  the  Maachathites,  and  half  Gilead,  the  border  of 
Sihon  king  of  Heshbon. 

6  Them  did  Moses  the  servant  of  the  Lord,  and  the 
children  of  Israel  smite:  and  Aloses  the  servant  of  the 
Lord  gave  it  for  a  possession  unto  the  Reubenites,  and 
the  Gadites,  and  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh. 

7  IT  And  these  are  the  kings  of  the  country  which 
Joshua  and  the  children  of  Israel  sinote  on  this  side 
Jordan  on  the  west,  from  Baal-gad  in  the  valley  of 
Lebanon,  even  unto  the  mount  Halak  that  goeth  up  to 
Seir;  which  Joshua  gave  unto  the  tribes  of  Israel  for  a 
possession  according  to  their  divisions; 

8  In  the  mountains,  and  in  the  valleys,  and  in  the 
plains,  and  in  the  springs,  and  in  the  wilderness,  and 

Ver.  5.  3Iount  Sermon,     (See  on  ver  1.) 

SalcaJi,  now  Sulkhad,  is  at  the  southern  edge 
of  Jebel  Hauran,  occupjdng  a  most  imposing  site. 
It  is  on  the  same  line  of  latitude  with  Beth-shean, 
and  about  seventy  miles  to  the  east  of  that  place. 

Bashan  included  all  the  country  lying  between 
the  Jordan  valley  and  the  eastern  desert,  north  of 
the  Hieromax  and  south  of  Hermon. 

The  G-eshurites  probably  occupied  the  region 
between  the  Lejah  and  Damascus. 

The  Maachathites  were,  no  doubt,  intimately 
connected  with  the  Geshurites,  and  perhaps  jointly 
occupied  the  same  territory.  It  is  curious  to  notice 
that  David's  wife,  who  was  mother  to  Absalom, 
was  Maachah,  the  daughter  of  the  Geshurite  king. 

Half  Gilead,  i.e.,  the  northern  half,  between  the 
Jabbok  (Zerka)  and  the  Hieromax  (Yarmuk). 

Ver.  7.  See  on  chap.  xi.  17. 

Ver.  8.  Note  the  exact  enumeration.     1.    The 
6 


122  COMMENTARY  ON 

in  the  south  country;  the  Hittites,  the  Amorites,  and 
the  Canaanites,  the  Perizzites,  the  Hivites,  and  the 
Jebusites: 

9  ^  The  king  of  Jericho,  one;  the  king  of  Ai,  which 
is  beside  Beth-el,  one; 

10  The  king  of  Jerusalem,  one;  the  king  of  Hebron, 
one; 

11  The  king  of  Jarmuth,  one;  the  king  of  Lachish, 
one; 

12  The  king  of  Eglon,  one;  the  king  of  Gezer,  one; 

13  The  king  of  Debir,  one;  the  king  of  Geder,  one; 

14  The  king  of  Hormah,  one;  the  king  of  Arad,  one; 

15  The  king  of  Libnah,  one;  the  king  of  Adullam, 
one; 

16  The  king  of  Makkedah,  one;  the  king  of  Beth-el, 
one; 

17  The  king  of  Tappuah,  one;  the  king  of  Hepher, 
one; 

18  The  king  of  Aphek,  one;  the  king  of  Lasharon, 
one; 

19  The  king  of  Madon,  one;  the  king  of  Hazor,  one; 

20  The  king  of    Shimron-meron,  one  ;   the  king  of 
Achshaph,  one; 

21  The  king  of  Taanach,  one;  the  king  of  Megiddo, 
one; 

22  The  king  of  Kedesh,  one;  the  king  of  Jokneam 
of  Carmel,  one; 

23  The  king  of  Dor  in  the  coast  of  Dor,  one;  the 
king  of  the  nations  of  Gilgal,  one; 

24  The  king  of  Tirzah,  one:  all  the  kings  thirty  and 
one. 


mountain  country  ;  2.  The  Shephelah  ;  3.  The  Ara- 
bah  ;  4.  The  intervening  ravine-country  ;  5.  The 
wilderness  (on  the  west  side  of  the  Dead  Sea,  and 
corresponding  to  No.  4)  ;  6.  The  Negeb.  Note 
also  the  omission  of  the  Girgasliites,  as  in  chap, 
xi.  3. 

Ver.  9-24.  The  kings  in  this  list  not  specially 
named  before  are  those  of  Geder,  Hormah,  Arad, 
Adullam,  Bethel,  Tappuah,    Hepher,  Aphek,  La- 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  xn.  123 

Sharon,  Taanach,  Megiddo,  Kedesh,  Jokneam,  Dor, 
Goim  (nations),  and  Tirzah.* 

G-eder,  probably  the  "  Gedor  "  of  Judah  (chap. 
XV.  58),  now  Jedur,  half-way  between  Hebron  and 
Bethlehem. 

Hormah  (or  Zephath,  as  in  Judg.  i.  17)  is 
identified  with  es-Sufah  by  Robinson.  Es-Sufah 
is  a  pass  up  the  high  mountain  buttress  of  southern 
Judah,  north  of  the  remarkable  VVady  Fikreh. 
Others  put  Hormah  at  Sepata,  south  of  Elusa. 

Arad  is  twenty  miles  south  of  Hebron. 

Adullam,  supposed  to  be  Deir  Duffan,  twenty- 
two  miles  south-west  of  Jerusalem. 

Bethel,  now  Beitin,  in  close  proximity  to  Ai 
(see  chap.  viii.  17),  ten  miles  north  of  Jerusalem. 

Tappuah  was  on  the  boundary  between  Ephraim 
and  Manasseh  (chap.  xvi.  8,  xvii.  8),  and  may  be 
looked  for  not  far  from  Ebal  and  Gerizim  to  the 
north-east. 

Hepher,  probably  the  same  as  Gath-hepher  (2 
Ki.  xiv.  25),  now  el-Meshhad,  between  Nazareth 
and  Sepphoris. 

ApJiek.  There  was  an  Aphek  near  Jerusalem, 
to  the  north-west  (1  Sam.  iv.  1).  The  position  of 
the  name  in  this  list  might  lead  us  to  look  for  this 
one  near  the  plain  of  Esdraelon.  There  may  have 
been  another  Aphek  there,  as  we  know  there  was 

*  Keil's  argument  to  prove  that  the  towns  mentioned  in  verses 
17  and  18  belong  to  the  number  of  those  conquered  with  the 
southern  confederacy,  and  tlierefore  are  to  be  sought  for  to  the 
south  of  Ai  and  Bethel,  is  plausible,  but  by  no  means  conclusive. 


124  COIklMENTAKY   ON 

one  east  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee  (1  Ki.  xx.  26),  and 
another  in  Asher  (Josh.  xix.  30).  Perhaps  the 
one  in  Asher  is  here  intended,  and  it  may  be  identi- 
cal with  Haifa  on  the  bay  of  Akka. 

Lasliaron  cannot  be  identified,  but  Knobel  sug- 
gests Saruneh,  near  the  Sea  of  Galilee. 

Taanach  and  Megiddo  are  well-known  sites  in 
the  south-western  corner  of  the  great  plain  of 
Esdraelon. 

Kedesh^  afterward  in  the  tribe  of  Tssachar  (1 
Chron.  vi.  72),  and  called  "  Kishon  "  (Josh.  xxi. 
28),  was  no  doubt  also  in  the  great  plain  by  the 
river  Kishon. 

Jokneam  is  found  at  el-Kaimon,  under  the  south- 
ern end  of  Carmel. 

Dor.     (See  on  chap.  xi.  2.) 

Goim.  The  expression  in  the  English  version  is 
"  king  of  the  nations  of  Gilgal,"  but  the  prefix  to 
"  Gilgal "  is  the  same  as  that  before  "  Carmel  "  in 
ver.  22,  and  before  "  the  coast "  in  ver.  23.  Hence 
we  read  ''^  the  king  of  Goim  (nations)  by  Gilgal." 
The  Goim  lived  near  Gilgal,  and  were  probably  a 
mixed  people  having  a  king  of  their  own.  The 
Gilgal  would  be  the  Jiljilia,  near  Antipatris. 

Tirzah  is  probably  Telluzah,  at  the  north  of 
Mount  Ebal.  It  Avas  afterward  a  royal  Israelitish 
city  (1  Ki.  xvi.  17). 

These  thirty-one  kings  doubtless  divided  the 
whole  territory  east  of  the  Jordan  from  Hermon 
to  Kadesh  among  them,  excepting  the  Gibeonitish 
confederacy. 


JOSHUA,    CHAP.    XIII.  125 


CHAPTER  Xlir. 

VII.     The  Inheritance   of   the    Two   Tribes    and  a 
Half. 

1  Now  Joshua  was  old  and  stricken  in  years;  and 
the  Lord  said  unto  him,  Thou  art  old  and  stricken  in 
years,  and  there  remaineth  yet  very  much  land  to  be 
possessed. 

Ver.  1.  Was  old  and  stricken  in  years,  (See  Gen. 
xxiv.  1.)  This  is  not  a  tautology.  Joshua  was 
old  not  only  as  compared  with  childhood,  but  as 
viewed  with  reference  to  the  whole  career  of  man. 
Stricken  is  the  old  English  for  advanced.  Joshua 
was  eighty-seven  when  he  had  reduced  the  whole 
land  (chap.  xi.  23)  ;  that  is,  when  he  had  destroyed 
its  opposition  and  possessed  it  generally,  abolishing 
its  kins^doms  from  Kadesh  to  Mount  Hermon. 

Moses  was  one  hundred  and  tw^enty  years  old 
when  he  died,  Joshua  was  one  hundred  and  ten 
years  old  when  he  died,  and  Caleb  probably  had 
an  equally  long  life,  as  he  was  about  equal  in  age 
with  Joshua,  and  survived  him.  These  three  prom- 
inent men  may  have  had  their  lives  specially  pro- 
longed, but  even  if  we  count  one  hundred  and  ten 
as  the  average  length  of  life  in  Joshua's  day, 
eighty-seven  would  be  nearly  four-fifths  of  the 
whole  time,  and  a  man  of  eighty-seven  would  be 


126  COMISIENTARY  ON 

advanced  in  years.  However,  from  Moses'  psalm 
(Ps.  xc.  10),  it  would  appear  that  human  life  then 
already  had  the  same  limits  as  now,  and  hence  that 
eighty-seven  was  an  extreme  old  age,  far  beyond 
the  average  years  of  man,  exactly  as  it.  is  to-da3^ 
There  remameth  yet  very  much  land  to  he  pos- 
sessed. God  had  announced  to  Israel  at  Sinai 
(Ex.  xxiii.  29,  30)  that  he  would  not  drive  out 
the  Canaanites  in  one  year,  but  by  little  and  little, 
so  that  the  desolated  land  should  not  be  filled  with 
wild  beasts.  Yet  God  again  said  (Deut.  ix.  3), 
through  Moses,  that  the  children  of  Israel  should 
drive  them  out  and  destroy  them  quickly.  This 
latter  is  a  command,  and  with  it  can  be  quoted  the 
threat  against  disobedience  given  in  Num.  xxxiii. 
55,  and  repeated  by  Joshua  (chap,  xxiii.  13),  "  but 
if  ye  will  not  drive  out  the  inhabitants  of  the  land 
from  before  you,  then  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  those 
wdiich  ye  let  remain  of  them  shall  be  pricks  in 
your  eyes  and  thorns  in  your  sides,  and  shall  vex  you 
in  the  land  wherein  ye  dwell."  From  these  passages, 
and  from  the  fact  that  Joshua  just  before  his  death 
(chap,  xxiii.  14)  found  no  fault  with  Israel  for 
leaving  any  of  the  Canaanites  in  the  land,  we 
gather  that  at  the  end  of  the  seven  years'  conquest 
God  wished  Israel  to  cease  from  war  (chap.  xi.  23), 
and  did  not  desire  a  renewal  of  the  work  of  exter- 
mination until  after  Joshua's  death.  The  people 
had  already  driven  out  the  Canaanites  quickly^ 
although  not  totally ;  and  now,  with  regard  to  those 
left  in  the  land,  when  the  campaigns  should  com- 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  xin.  127 

2  This  {.s  the  land  that  yet  remaineth:  all  the  borders 
of  the  Philistines,  and  all  Geshuri, 

mence  against  them,  the  people  of  Israel  were  to 
act  with  like  speed  and  faith.  In  the  sequel  we 
find  that  they  did  not  so  act,  and  hence  fell  into  the 
evils  predicted.  In  the  twenty-three  years  from 
the  end  of  Joshua's  conquest  till  his  death,  the 
land  was  peacefully  possessed  by  Israel,  and  the 
people  became  numerous  enough  to  fill  up  the  des- 
olated regions.  (See  Ex.  xxiii.  29.)  It  will  be 
noticed  in  this  order  of  God  to  Joshua  (the  first 
seven  verses  of  this  chapter),  although  God  says 
there  is  very  much  land  yet  to  be  possessed,  and 
describes  it,  he  does  not  command  Joshua  to  seize 
it  and  subdue  it,  but  only  to  divide  it  (ver.  6,  7), 
or  allot  it  to  the  tribes. 

Vek.  2.  The  Philistines^  who,  with  the  Caph- 
torim,  originally  came  out  from  Caphtor  (probably 
the  Nile  delta),  settled  in  the  Shephelah,  or  fertile 
and  extensive  plain  lying  between  the  mountains 
of  Judah  and  the  sea.  (See  Gen.  x.  14 ;  Deut.  ii. 
23  ;  Jer.  xlvii.  4 ;  Am.  ix.  7.)  Their  five  principal 
cities,  Gaza,  Ashdod,  Ashkelon,  Gath,  and  Ekron, 
occupied  advantageous  points  on  this  plain. 

G-aza  (now  Ghuzzeh)  is  situated  two  miles  from 
the  sea  in  lat.  31^  30',  and  has  always  been  a  place 
of  importance. 

Ashdod^  which  seems  to  have  been  the  religious 
capital  of  the  Philistines,  as  Gaza  was  their  chief 
political  city,  is  also  two  miles  from  the  sea,  and 
twenty-two  miles  north  of  Gaza. 


128  COMMENTARY   ON 

3  From  Sihor,  which  is  before  Egypt,  even  unto  the 
Lorders  of  Ekron  northward,  ichich  is  counted  to  the 
Canaanite:  five  lords  of  the  Pliilistines  ;  tiie  Gaza- 
thites,  and  tlie  Ashdothitcs,  tiie  Eslikalonites,  the 
Gittites,  and  the  Ekronites  ;  also  the  Avites  : 

Ashkelon  lies  on  a  rocky  ridge  on  the  edge  of  the 
sea  between  Gaza  and  Ashdod. 

Gath  was  probably  on  the  strong  position  of 
Tell  es-Safieh,  ten  miles  east  of  Ashdod.  The  hill 
is  two  hundred  feet  high. 

JEki'on  (now  Akir)  is  nine  miles  from  the  sea, 
eleven  miles  north  of  (our  supposed)  Gath,  and 
about  the  same  distance  from  Ashdod,  while  from 
Gaza  to  Ekron,  the  two  most  widely  separated  of 
the  Philistine  cities,  is  a  distance  of  thirty-three 
miles.  The  whole  land  of  the  Philistines  may  be 
reckoned  as  fifty  miles  in  length  from  south  to 
north,  and  fifteen  miles  in  breadth  from  the  sea  to 
the  mountains.  Its  southern  and  northern  limits 
would  be  the  Wady  Ghuzzeh  and  the  southern 
branch  of  the  Nahr  el-Aujeh.  So  large  and  rich  a 
plain  could  readily  support  a  million  people,  and 
if  the  advantages  of  the  sea  are  added,  a  much 
larger  population  could  dAvell  there. 

Geshuri,  or  the  Geshurites,  were  a  part  of  the 
ori^•inal  inhabitants  of  the  desert  north  of  el-Arish 
and  south  of  Gaza  (1  Sam.  xx^ai.  8).  They  were 
probably  Bedawin  hke  the  Amalekites  and  Ger- 
izites  (called  Gezrites  m  1.  c),  and  part  of  their 
tribe  or  race  seem  to  have  settled  in  Bashan.  (See 
chap.  xii.  5,  and  in  this  chap.  ver.  13.) 

Ver.  3.  jSihor  is  the  Nile.     The  words,  "  which 


JOSHTTA.    CHAP.    XHI.  129 


4  From  the  south  all  the  land  of  the  Canaanites, 
and  Mearah  that  is  beside  the  Sidonians,  unto  Aphek 
to  the  borders  of  the  Aniorites: 


is  before  Egypt,"  would  indicate  the  Pelusiac  arm 
as  the  boundary  of  Egypt,  to  which  the  Israeiitish 
possession  was  to  extend.  In  David's  day  (1  Chron. 
xiii.  5),  this  possession  was  made  good. 

To  the  Canaanite.  The  Philistines  were  not 
Canaanites,  but  their  land  was  counted  as  part  of 
the  Canaanitish  territory. 

Gittites,  Z.6'.,  inhabitants  of  Gath. 

The  Avites^  or  Avim  (Deut.  ii.  23),  were  the  old 
inhabitants  near  Gaza  (Azzah  in  Deut.  ii.  23), 
probably  a  gigantic  race,  who  were  destroyed  by 
the  Caphtorim  (see  on  ver.  2),  and  a  remnant  of 
whom  still  dwelt  among  the  Philistines. 

Ver.  4.  From  the  south.  Rather,  on  the  south. 
This  phrase  belongs  to  the  preceding  words,  thus, 
Also  the  Avites  on  the  south. 

The  land  of  the  Canaanites  was  the  strip  of 
coast  land  running  up  from  Carmel  to  Tyre. 

3Iearali  seems  to  be  the  designation  of  the  Leb- 
anon region  about  the  Nahr  ed-Damur,  the  Nahr 
Beirut  and  the  Nahr  el-Kelb.  Keil's  notion  that 
it  was  Mugr  Jezzin  is  too  restricted. 

Beside  the  Sidonians.  Rather,  belonging  to  the 
Sidonians. 

Aphek  (now  Af  ka)  is  north  of  the  sources  of  the 
Nahr  cl-Kelb  and  on  the  Nahr  Ibrahim  (Adonis). 
It  was  the  spot  where  in  later  da^^s  the  celebrated 
temple  of  Venus  stood. 

6*  * 


130  COMMENTAKY   ON 

5  And  the  land  of  the  Giblites,  and  all  Lebanon 
toward  the  sun-rising,  from  Baal-gad  under  mount  Her- 
mon  unto  the  entering  into  Hamath. 

To  the  borders  of  the  Amorites,  that  is,  to  the 
farthermost  limit  of  the  Amorites  on  the  north. 

Ver.  5.  TJie  Giblites.  Translated  in  1  Kings 
V.  18,  "  stone-squarers  "  wrongly.  They  are  the 
people  of  Gebal  (Ps.  Ixxxiii.  7,  and  Ez.  xxvii.  9), 
now  Jebeil,  on  the  coast  a  little  north  of  the  mouth 
of  the  Nahr  Ibrahim. 

All  Lebanon  toward  the  sun-rising^  i.e.,  all  Leba- 
non lying  eastward  of  Jebeil  from  Baal-gad  (chap, 
xi.  17)  to  the  entering  into  Hamath. 

Unto  the  entering  into  Hamath,  Or,  "  until  one 
comes  into  Hamath."  Hamath  was  a  kingdom 
embracing  all  the  course  of  the  Orontes.  Its  south- 
ern limit  was  not  far  north  of  Baalbek,  east  of  Aphek 
and  Jebeil.  The  northern  boundary  of  Israel  is 
thus  put  along  a  line  extending  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean at  or  near  Jebeil  to  the  Bukaa,  or  Coele- 
Syria,  and  down  the  Leontes.  We  may  imagine 
the  Nahr  Kadisha  taking  the  line  to  the  Lebanon 
pass  near  Bezun,  and  thence  the  Leontes  forming 
the  boundary  to  Jebel  ed-Dahar,  where  the  Jor- 
dan (Nahr  Hasbeiya)  would  continue  it  until  the 
neighborhood  of  Baneas  is  reached.  The  land  in 
in  its  full  dimensions  would  be  two  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  long,  and,  starting  from  an  apex 
above  Jebeil,  would  reach  a  width  of  eighty  miles 
at  its  greatest  breadth,  excepting  the  desert  part 
between  the  Nile  and  the  Arabah,  which  would 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  xm.  131 

6  All  the  inhabitants  of  the  hill-counfivj  from  Leba- 
non unto  Misrephoth-raaim,  aiid  all  the  Sidonians, 
them  will  I  drive  out  from  before  the  children  of  Israel: 
only  divide  thou  it  by  lot  unto  the  Israelites  for  an  in- 
heritance, as  I  have  commanded  thee. 

7  Now  therefore  divide  this  land  for  an  inheritance 
unto  the  nine  tribes,  and  the  half-tribe  of  ^Nlanasseh. 

8  With  whom  the  Reubenites  and  the  Gadites  have 
received  their  inheritance,  which  Moses  gave  them, 
beyoiid  Jordan  eastward,  ecen  as  Moses  the  servant  of 
the  Lord  gave  them  ; 

be  still  more.  From  the  most  northern  portion 
of  this  tract,  the  region  of  Lebanon,  the  old  popu- 
lation were  never  dislodged,  but  in  David's  and 
Solomon's  day  it  was  all  subject  to  Israel.* 

Ver.  7.  With  this  verse  ends  God's  command, 
which  was  probably  given  to  Joshua  through  the 
instrumentality  of  the  Urim  and  Thummim  of  the 
high-priest. 

Ver.  8.  Here  begins  the  statement  of  the  sacred 
writer. 

With  whom.  Or,  "  with  it,"  i.e.,  with  the  half- 
tribe  of  Manasseh,  and  yet  not  the  same  half  of 
the  tribe  referred  to  in  ver.  7. 

As   Moses    the   servant   of  the  Lord  gave  them. 

*  I  have  in  these  last  two  verses  given  the  received  view  of 
Israel's  northern  frontier,  extending  it  fifty  miles  north  of  the 
mcuih  of  the  Leontes.  And  yet  I  cannot  heartily  accept  this 
view.  It  would  make  Asher's  portion  out  of  all  proportion  with 
the  rest  (chap.  xix.  24-31),  and  it  would  present  a  long  reach  of 
territory  which  Israel  never  pretended  to  claim,  except  by  such 
conquest  as  it  claimed  the  Euphrates  on  one  hand,  and  Eziongaber 
on  the  otlier.  The  line  of  Hermon  and  the  Leontes  appears  to  be 
much  more  reasonable.  In  such  case,  of  course,  we  should  give  a 
different  account  of  Mearah,  Apheli,  and  the  Gibhtes. 


132  OOIVIMENTAIIY  ON 

9  From  Aroer  thab  z\<?  upon  the  bank  of  the  river 
Arnon,  and  the  city  that  is  in  the  midst  of  the  river, 
and  all  the  plain  of  Medeba  unto  Dibon; 

10  And  all  the  cities  of  Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites, 
which  reigned  in  Heshbon,  unto  the  border  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Amnion; 

11  And  Gilead,  and  the  border  of  the  Geshurites 
and  Maachathites,  and  all  mount  Hermon,.  and  all 
Bashan  unto  Salcah  ; 

12  All  the  kingdom  of  Og  in  Bashan,  which  reioiied 
in  Ashtaroth  and  in  Edrei,  who  remained  of  the  rem- 
nant of  the  giants.  For  these  did  Moses  smite,  and 
cast  them  out. 

13  Nevertheless,  the  children  of  Israel  expelled  not 
the  Geshm'ites,  nor  the  Maachathites:  but  the  Geshurites 
and  the  Maachathites  dwell  among  the  Israelites  until 
this  day. 

14  Only  unto  the  tribe  of  Levi  he  gave  none  inheri- 
tance ;  the  sacrifices  of  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  made 
by  fire  are  their  inheritance,  as  he  said  unto  them. 

The  repetition  is  to  show  that  Moses  acted  by 
divine  command. 

Ver.  9.   Aroer ^  &c.     (See  on  chap.  xii.  2.) 

The  jj?am  of  Medeba  unto  Dibon.  The  same  as 
"  the  field  of  Moab  "  in  Num.  xxi.  20,  the  high 
plateau  which  stretches  from  the  Arnon  to  Hesh- 
bon twenty-five  miles,  in  which  is  the  cit}^  Me- 
deba. Bibon  (famous  for  the  late  discovery  of  "  the 
Moabite  stone  ")  is  near  its  southern  boundary. 

Ver.  10.  The  children  of  Ammon  had  been  driven 
from  the  country  north  of  the  Arnon  (along  with 
the  Moabites)  by  Sihon  the  Amorite  (Num.  xxi. 
26 ;  Judg.  xi.  13),  and  were  now  occupying  the 
desert  on  the  east. 

Ver.  11-13.     See  on  chap.  xii.  4,  5. 

Ver.  14.  The  tribe  of  Levi.  (See  Num.  xviii. 
20-24.)     While  the  Levites   had   no   territory  to 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  xni.  133 

15  ^  And  Moses  gave  unto  the  tribe  of  the  children 
of  Reuben  inheritance  according  to  their  families. 

16  And  their  coast  was  from  Aroer  that  is  on  the 
bank  of  the  river  Arnon,  and  the  city  that  is  in  the 
midst  of  the  river,  and  all  the  plain  by  Medeba: 

17  Ileshbon,  and  all  her  cities  that  are  in  the  plain; 
Dibon,  and  Bamoth-baal,  and  Beth-baal-meon, 

18  And  Jaliaza,  and  Kcdemoth,  and  Mephaath, 

10  And  Kirjathaim,  and  Sibmah,  and  Zareth-shahar 
in  the  mount  of  the  valley, 

20  And  Beth-peor,  and  Ashdoth-pisgah,  and  Beth- 
jeshimoth, 

21  And  all  the  cities  of  the  plain,  and  all  the  king- 
dom of  Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites  which  reigned  in 
Heshbon,  w'hom  Moses  smote  with  the  princes  of  Midian, 
Evi  and  Rekem,  and  Zur,  and  Ilur,  and  Reba,  which 
were  dukes  of  Sihon,  dwelling  in  the  country. 

cultivate,  they  had  cities  to  dwell  in  (chap.  xiv.  4) 
as  their  own. 

Vek.  15-21.  Reuben's  inheritance.  The  Ar- 
non (Wady  el-Mojib)  was  its  southern  boundary, 
dividing  it  from  Moab. 

Heshhon  lies  twenty -five  miles  north  of  the  Ar- 
non, and  fifteen  miles  east  of  the  northern  end  of 
the  Dead  Sea. 

Dihon  is  three  miles  from  the  Arnon. 

Bamoth-baal  (''Bamoth"  in  Num.  xxi.  19), 
Jahaza  or  Jahaz,  Kedeinotli^  Mejjliaath^  Sibmah 
and  Zareth-shahar  are  not  identified,  though  Seet- 
zen  suggests  Sara  near  the  mouth  of  the  Zerka 
Mam  for  the  last. 

BeAbaal-meon  is  ten  miles  south  of  Heshbon. 

Kirjathaim  is  by  Porter  placed  at  Kureiyat, 
seven   miles   south   of  Beth-baal-meon. 

Beth-peor^  we  know,  was  near  Israel's  encamp- 
ment opposite  Jericho  (Deut.  iii.  29,  and  iv.  46). 


134  COMMENTARY   ON 

22  ^  Balaam  also  the  son  of  Beor,  the  sooth-sayer, 
did  the  children  of  Israel  slay  with  the  sword,  among 
them  that  were  slain  by  them. 

2)  And  the  border  of  the  children  of  Reuben  was 
Jordan,  and  the  border  thereof.  This  icas  the  inheri- 
tance of  the  children  of  Reuben,  after  their  families,  the 
cities  and  the  villages  thereof. 

24:  And  Moses  gave  inheritance  unto  the-  tribe  of 
Gad,  even  unto  the  children  of  Gad  according  to  their 
families. 

25  And  their  coast  was  Jazer,  and  all  the  cities  of 
Gilead,  and  half  the  land  of  the  children  of  Amnion, 
unto  Aroer  that  is  before  Rabbah; 

26  And  from  Heshbon  imto  Ramath-mizpeh,  and 
Betonim  ;  and  from  Mahanaim  unto  the  border  of 
Debir ; 

27  And  in  the  valley,  Beth-aram,  and  Beth-nimrah, 
and  Succoth,  and  Zaphon,  the  rest  of  the  kingdom  of 
Sihon  king  of  IIeshl3on,  Jordan  and  his  border,  even 
unto  the  edge  of  the  sea  of  Cinneroth,  on  the  other  side 
Jordan  eastward. 

28  This  is  the  inheritance  of  the  children  of  Gad 
after  their  families,  the  cities,  and  their  villages. 

For  Ashdotli-pisgah  and  Beth-jesliimoth^  see  on 
chap.  xii.  3. 

With  the  jyrinces  of  Midian  (Num.  xxxi.  8). 

Ver.  22.  Sootlisayer  or  "  diviner."  The  word 
is  used  of  those  who  pretend  to  be  prophets. 

Ver.  24-28.  Gad's  inheritance.  The  south 
line  of  Gad  touched  Heslibon  (ver.  2G),  and  the 
north  line  touched  the  Sea  of  Galilee  in  the  Jordan 
valley  and  Mahanaim,  near  the  sources  of  AVady 
Yabis  by  the  eastern  plain,  while  the  Gilead 
mountain-country  between  belonged  to  Manasseh 
C^ialf  Gilead,"  ver.  31).  The  Jabbok  was  there 
its  northern  boundary.  Of  the  ten  towns  men- 
tioned, Ramatli-mizpeh  is  generally  identified  with 
es-Salt,  twenty  miles  north  of  Heshbon  (but  see  on 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  xin.  135 

chap.  XX.  8),  and  Mahanaim  is  placed  by  some  at 
Maneh,  thirty  miles  farther  north,  and  twenty-five 
miles  south-east  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee. 

Beth-aram  and  Beth-nimrah  are  both  identified 
in  the  valley  opposite  Jericho.  Succoth^  mentioned 
in  Jacob's  history  (Gen.  xxxiii.  17),  must  be  in  the 
Jordan  valley,  near  Wady  Yabis,  and  not  on  the 
west  side  of  the  Jordan,  as  many  put  it.  Betonim 
is  near  Ramath-mizpeh.  Lidhir  is  supposed  by 
Reland  to  be  the  Lodebar  of  2  Sam.  xvii.  27,  near 
Mahanaim.  Jazer^  Aroer,  and  Zaphon  cannot  be 
identified. 

Jazer  and  all  the  cities  of  Gilead  (z.e.,  the  south- 
ern half  of  Gilead),  even  half  the  land  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Ammon  (the  tribe  of  Reuben  having  the 
other  half),  unto  Aroer  that  is  before  Rahhah.  This 
describes  the  bulk  of  Gad's  possession,  Aroer  mark- 
ing its  eastern  limit.  From  Heshhon  unto  Ra.math- 
mizpeh^  and  Betonim^  expresses  the  length  of  this 
tract  from  south  to  north. 

From  Mahanaim  unto  the  border  of  Lidbir  (by 
mistake  written  "Debir").  This  describes  the 
eastern  horn  of  Gad  that  ran  north  into  Manasseh. 
Ver.  27  describes  the  Jordan  valley  and  the  west- 
ern horn  running  up  to  the  Sea  of  Galilee. 

Reuben's  tract  was  only  twenty-five  miles  long, 
while  Gad's  was  in  parts  nearly  sixty  miles.  Yet 
in  Num.  ii.  11,  15,  we  find  that  Reuben  outnum- 
bered Gad.  The  difference  was  probably  made  up 
in  the  superior  fertility  of  Reuben's  land. 


136  COMMENTARY   ON 

29  ^  And  Moses  gave  inheritance  unto  the  half-tribe 
of  Manasseh  :  and  this  was  tlie  possession  of  the  half- 
tribe  of  the  children  of  Manasseh  by  their  famihes. 

30  And  their  coast  was  from  iNIahanaini,  all  Bashan, 
all  the  kingdom  of  Og  king  of  Biishan,  and  all  the 
towns  of  Jair,  which  are  in  Bashan,  threescore  cities: 

31  And  half  Gilead,  and  Ashtaroth,  and  Edrei,  cities 
of  the  kingdom  of  Og  in  Bashan,  tcere  pertaining  imto 
the  children  of  Machir  the  son  of  Manasseh,  even  to 
the  one  half  of  the  children  of  Machir  by  their  fam- 
ilies. 

32  These  are  the  countries  which  Moses  did  distribnte 
for  inheritance  in  the  plains  of  Moab,  on  the  other  side 
Jordan  by  Jericho  eastward. 

33  But  unto  the  tribe  of  Levi,  Moses  gave  not  any 
inheritance:  the  Loud  God  of  Israel  was  their  inheri- 
tance, as  he  said  unto  them. 

Ver.  30.  The  half-tribe  of  Manasseh  had  all 
north  of  the  latitude  of  32^^  30'  (at  Mahanaim),  tak- 
ing in  all  Og's  great  kingdom  of  Bashan,  which  ex^ 
tended  eastward  at  least  seventy-five  miles  from 
the  Jordan,  including  the  Hauran  mountain  and  the 
Lejah  (Argob  or  Trachouitis).  Besides  this,  the 
half-tribe  of  Manasseh  had  the  Gilead  heights 
down  to  the  Jabbok  (half  Gilead),  in  which  were 
the  towns  of  Jair  (''  Havoth-Jair,"  Num.  xxxii. 
41).  Ashtaroth  and  Edrei  (see  on  chap.  xii.  4) 
are  mentioned  as  the  principal  cities  of  this  large 
region. 

Ver.  31.  Machir.  Machir  was  the  eldest  son  of 
Manasseh,  and  his  family  became  the  most  powerful 
in  the  tribe,  almost  a  tribe  in  itself,  called  Machir- 
ites  in  Num.  xxvi.  29.  They  probably  far  out- 
numbered the  rest  of  the  tribe,  and  hence  this 
whole  eastern  share  of  Manasseh  went  to  but  a 
half  of  the    Machirites.     Indeed,  if  we   examine 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  xni.  137  I 

chap,  xvii.,  it  would  seem  as  if  the  Machirites  were 

the  only  descendants  that  Manasseh  had.  \ 

Yer.  33.   The  Lord   Grod  of  Israel  was  their  in-  ' 

heritance.    This  was  Levi's  high  distinction.     It  is,  i 

therefore,  again  repeated.     (Comp.  ver.   14,  also  \ 

chap,  xviii.  7.)     To  them  were  the  priesthood,  the  j 

sacrifices,  cities  to  dwell  in,  and  the  suburbs  for  j 

their  cattle  (chap.  xiv.  4).     God  exalts  his  service  ] 
above  all  land-possession. 


138  C0]M1SIENTAEY  ON 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Vm.     The  I^s^heritance   of   the   Nine   Tribes  and  a 
Half.     (Cliap.  xiv.-xix.) 

1  And  these  are  the  countries  which  the  children  of 
Israel  inherited  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  which  Eleazar 
the  priest,  and  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  and  the  heads 
of  the  fathers  of  the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel  dis- 
tributed for  inheritance  to  them. 

2  By  lot  loas  their  inheritance,  as  the  Lord  com- 
manded by  the  hand  of  Moses,  for  the  nine  tribes,  and 
for  the  haif-tribe. 

This  section  extends  through  chap.  xix.  The 
first  five  verses  of  this  chapter  form  the  preface  to 
the  section. 

Ver.  1.  Eleazar  is  here  first  mentioned  in  the 
book  of  Joshua.  His  solemn  investment  with  the 
oflice  of  the  high-priesthood  (as  the  oldest  living 
son  of  Aaron)  is  recorded  in  Num.  xx.  28. 

Heads  of  the  fathers  of  the  tribes^  i.e.,  chief  fa- 
thers of  the  tribes,  one  for  each  of  the  ten  tribes  to 
be  represented,  Reuben  and  Gad  being  excluded, 
as  having  their  inheritance  on  the  east  side  of 
Jordan  already  assigned.  These  chiefs  of  the 
tribes  were  designated  by  God  to  Moses,  before 
Israel  crossed  Jordan.  Their  names  are  given  in 
Num.  xxxiv.  19-28.  Caleb  was  one  of  them,  rep- 
resenting the  tribe  of  Judah. 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  xrv.  139 

3  For  Moses  had  given  the  inheritance  of  two  tribes 
and  an  half-tribe  on  the  other  side  Jordan:  but  unto 
the  Levites  he  gave  none  inheritance  among  them. 

4  For  the  children  of  Joseph  were  two  tribes,  Ma- 
nasseh  and  Ephraira:  therefore  they  gave  no  part  unto 
the_  Levites  in  the  land,  save  cities  to  dwell  vij  with 
their  suburbs  for  their  cattle,  and  for  their  substance. 

5  As  the  Lord  commanded  Moses,  so  the  children 
of  Israel  did,  and  they  divided  the  land. 

6  ^  Then  the  children  of  Judah  came  unto  Joshua 
in  Gilgal  :  and  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh  the  Ken- 
ezite  said  unto  him,  Thou  knowest  the  thing  that  the 
Lord  said  unto  Moses  the  man  of  God  concerning  me 
and  thee  in  Kadesh-barnea. 

Ver.  3.  Among  them,  i.e.,  among  all  the  tribes, 
not  only  the  two  and  a  half. 

But  unto  the  Levites.     "  But "  should  be  "  and." 

Yer.  4.  For  the  children  of  Joseph.  The  "  for  " 
is  used  as  showing  how,  with  Levi  left  out,  there 
could  be  so  many  tribes.     (Comp.  Gen.  xlviii.  5.) 

Therefore  is  not  in  the  Hebrew,  and  should  be 
changed  to  "  and." 

Ver.  6.  Then  the  children  of  Judah,  &c.  Caleb's 
portion  is  first  given,  as  having  probably  been  as- 
signed him  before  the  formal  division,  and  as  soon  as 
"  the  land  had  rest  from  war."  Hence  that  phrase  is 
found  in  ver.  15.  This  portion  was  allotted  to 
Caleb  on  the  endorsement  of  the  tribe  of  Judah. 

Gilgal.  The  Gilgal  in  the  centre  of  the  land. 
(See  on  chap.  ix.  6.  Contrasted  with  Shiloh  in  chap, 
xviii.  1.) 

Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh  the  Kenezite.  Lord 
Hervey  thinks  that  Caleb  was  a  foreigner,  a  prose- 
lyte, incorporated  into  the  tribe  of  Judah,  one  of 
perhaps   many   who   by  proselytism  swelled    the 


140  COIMIMEITTAP.Y  ON 

numbers  of  Israel.  He  mentions  Jetliro,  Rahab, 
Ruth,  and  Naaman  as  samples.  His  reason  for  this 
supposition  is,  first,  from  the  obscure  genealogy  of 
Caleb  in  the  Chronicles ;  secondly,  from  the  four- 
teenth verse  of  this  chapter  and  the  thirteenth 
verse  of  the  next ;  to  wit,  "  Hebron  became  the 
inheritance  of  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh  the 
Kenczite  unto  this  day,  because  that  he  wholly 
followed  Jehovah  God  of  Israel.''''  "  Unto  Caleb 
the  son  of  Jephunneh  he  gave  a  part  among  the 
children  of  Judah.'^''  The  Avords  in  italics  would 
scarcely  have  been  nsed  of  a  Hebrew.  His  third 
argument  is  from  the  Edomitish  names  mentioned  in 
connection  with  Caleb  here  and  in  the  Chronicles; 
namely,  Kenaz  (Gen.  xxxvi.  11, 15),  Shobal,  liana- 
hath  (Gen.  xxxvi.  20-23),  Korah,  Ithran^  Elah,  and 
Jephunneh^  as  compared  with  Pinon  (Gen.  xxxvi. 
16,  26,  41).  This  view  of  Lord  Hervey  has  great 
probability.  Caleb  may  have  married  into  the 
family  of  Hezron,  and  his  wife  may  have  been  a 
daughter  of  Hur  (1  Chron.  ii.  50).  In  this  case, 
Jephunneh  would  be  his  Edomite  father,  and  "  the 
Kenezite  "  would  be  the  Edomitish  tribal  appella- 
tion. Caleb's  noble  conduct  in  urging  the  people 
to  go  up  and  conquer  the  land  on  the  return  of  the 
spies  (Num.  xiii.  80),  for  which  he  (and  Joshua, 
who  was  heart  and  soul  with  him  at  the  time)  was 
nearly  stoned  by  the  enraged  people  (Num.  xiv. 
10),  made  him  the  object  of  special  praise  and 
reward  from  God  (Num.  xiv.  24;  Deut.  i.  36). 
Caleb,  in  this  chapter,  is  represented  as  preferring 
his  claim  to  this  promised  reward. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.  XIV.  141 

7  Forty  years  old  was  I  when  INIoses  the  servant  of 
the  Lord  sent  me  from  Kadesh-barnea  to  espy  out  the 
land;  and  I  brought  him  word  agam  as  it  was  in  mine 
heart. 

8  Nevertheless,  my  brethren  that  went  up  with  me 
made  the  heart  of  the  people  melt :  but  I  wholly  fol- 
lowed the  Lord  my  God. 

Kadesh-barnea,  where  Israel  abode  so  long  in 
the  desert,  has  been  placed  by  Robinson  at  el- 
Weibeh,  on  the  west  heights  of  the  Arabah,  south 
of  Wady  Fikrah,  but  it  is  more  likely  to  be  at  the 
south  of  the  mountain  region  of  the  Azazimeh, 
perhaps  '  at  the  wells  of  Mayein,  although  the 
south-east  corner  of  Mukhrah  would  suit  the  de- 
mands of  the  narrative  better.  El-Weibeh  seems 
to  me  from  personal  inspection  a  very  unlikely 
site.  It  is  an  exposed  position,  and  not  at  the 
extreme  south  of  what  afterward  constituted  the 
borders  of  Israel. 

Ver.  7.  Forty  years  old.  (See  Num.  chap,  xiii., 
xiv.)  The  spying  of  the  land  was  thirt3^-eight 
years  before  the  eisodus,  or  entrance  into  Canaan. 
Caleb  was  therefore  seventy-eight  on  entering  Ca- 
naan, and  when  he  preferred  his  claim,  at  eighty- 
five  (ver.  10),  the  Israelites  had  been  seven  years 
in  the  land.  These  seven  years  mark  the  dura- 
tion of  the  war  of  conquest. 

Ver.  8.  My  brethren,  i.e.,  the  other  spies.  Of 
course  Joshua  is  excepted,  as  Caleb  shows  by  what 
he  says  in  ver.  6,  ''concerning  me  and  thee^ 

I  wholly  followed  the  Lord.  It  is  not  immodest 
for  a  man  to  assert  his  integrity  on  occasions  of 
moment.    (Comp.  Acts  xxiii.  1.)    Caleb  here  only 


142  COMMENTARY  ON 

9  And  Moses  sware  on  that  day,  saying,  Surely  the 
land  whereon  thy  feet  have  trodden  shall  be  thine  in- 
heritance, and  thy  children's  for  ever  ;  because  thou 
hast  wholly  followed  the  Lord  my  God. 

10  And  now%  behold  the  Lord  hath  kept  me  alive, 
as  he  said,  these  forty  and  five  j^ears,  even  since  the 
Lord  spake  this  word  unto  Moses,  while  the.  children  of 
Israel  wandered  in  the  wilderness:  and  now,  lo,  I  am 
this  day  fourscore  and  five  years  old. 

11  As  yet  I  am  as  strong  this  day,  as  /  loas  in  the 
day  that  Moses  sent  me:  as  my  strength  was  then,  even 
so  is  my  strength  now,  for  war,  both  to  go  out,  and  to 
come  in. 

12  Now  therefore  give  me  this  mountain,  whereof 

quoted  the  Lord's  words  concerning  him  (Num. 
xxxii.  12). 

Yer.  9.  The  land  whereon  thy  feet  have  trodden. 
(See  Deut.  i.  36.)  Hebron  is  not  specified.  That 
was  done  by  Joshua. 

Ver.  10.  Wandered.  Lit.,  "walked."  The 
false  idea  that  Israel  was  wandering  about  for  forty 
years  might  be  corrected  by  the  literal  translation 
of  such  verbs  as  this.  In  Num.  xiv.  33,  the  Heb. 
should  be  translated,  "  your  children  shall  be  shep- 
herds in  the  wilderness."  The  word  "  wander  " 
occurs  legitimately  only  in  Num.  xxxii.  13,  as  far 
as  Israel  is  concerned.  The  whole  forty  years, 
viewed  as  a  whole,  may  be  regarded  as  a  wander- 
ing, but  we  should  remember  that  the  people  may 
for  many  years  have  remained  in  one  centre,  as  at 
Kadesh. 

Ver.  11.  To  go  out  and  to  come  in.  A  proverbial 
phrase  for  full  activity.  (Comp.  Deut.  xxxi.  2 ; 
1  Kings  iii.  7.) 

Ver.  12.    This    mountain.      That   part   of    the 


JOSHUA,    CHAP.   XIV.  143 

the  Lord  spake  in  that  day ;  for  thou  heardest  in  that 
day  how  the  Anakims  were  there,  and  that  the  cities 
icere  great  and  fenced:  if  so  be  the  Lord  icill  he  with 
me,  then  I  shall  be  able  to  drive  them  out,  as  the  Lord 
said. 

13  And  Joshua  blessed  him,  and  gave  unto  Caleb 
the  son  of  Jephunneh,  Hebron  for  an  inheritance. 

14  Hebron  therefore  became  the  inheritance  of  Caleb 
the  son  of  Jephunneh  the  Kenezite  unto  this  day;  be- 
cause that  he  wholly  followed  the  Lord  God  of  Israel. 

15  And  the  name  of  Hebron  before  icas  Kirjath-arba; 
which  Arba  was  a  great  man  among  the  Anakims.  And 
the  land  had  rest  from  war. 


mountain  region  where  the  Anakim  were.  The 
"  this  "  points  to  the  following  description.  >  Caleb 
thus  specifies  Hebron  and  vicinity  as  the  part  of  the 
region  trodden  by  his  foot  as  a  si)y  which  he  would 
prefer.  He  was  willing  to  be  an  example  to  the 
rest  of  Israel  in  driving  out  the  enemy  who  still 
here  and  there  clung  to  their  fastnesses.  He  would 
take  the  most  formidable  of  these  foes  to  contend 
against. 

The  passage  should  read,  for  thou  heardest  (the 
Lord)  in  that  day^  for  the  Anakim  are  there^  &c. 
Two  reasons  are  given  why  he  should  have  Hebron : 
first,  the  Lord's  promise  to  give  him  ground  which 
lie  had  trodden  on  as  a  spy ;  and,  secondly,  the 
presence  of  the  gigantic  enemy. 

Ver.  13.  Blessed  him.  With  a  public,  official 
blessing  before  the  representatives  of  Judah.  (See 
ver.  6.) 

Ver.  14.  Unto  this  day.  The  book  of  Joshua 
was,  therefore,  written  while   Caleb  still  lived. 

Ver.  15.  Read,  the  name  of  Hebron  before  was 


144  COMMENTABY  ON  j 

city   of  Arha,    tlie  great   man  among  the  Anahim,  ' 

The    old   name   of   "  cit}^  of    Arba,"   or  Kirjath-  ; 

arba,  clung  to  the  place  along  with  the  name  of  j 

Hebron.     After  the    captivity,    a   thousand   years  j 

after  the  conquest  of  the  Anakim,  Nehemiah  calls  I 

the  place  Kirjath -arba  (Neh.  xi.  25).  i 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XV.  145 


CHAPTER  XV. 

1  Tms  then  was  the  lot  of  the  tribe  of  the  children 
of  Judah  by  their  families;  even  to  the  border  of  Edom, 
the  wilderness  of  Ziu  southward  was  the  uttermost  part 
of  the  south  coast. 

JuDAH  and  Joseph,  as  the  two  great  tribes,  divid- 
ing the  birthright  between  them  (1  Chron.  v.  1,  2), 
had  the  Land  first  divided  between  them,  their 
general  outhnes  being  given.  Afterwards  the 
other  tribes  are  arranged,  modifying  the  first  divi- 
sion. The  lot  probably  gave  only  general  indica- 
tions, while  the  commissioners  (chap.  xiv.  1) 
made  the  special  allotments,  according  to  circum- 
stances. 

Judali's  Lot. 

Yer.  1.  The  south  boundary  is  made  to  begin  at 
the  south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea.  Thus  the  south- 
ern part  of  the  east  boundary  is  included  in  this 
south  boundary.  It  is  a  natural  and  reasonable 
license.  This  verse  should  read.  And  the  lot  to  the 
tribe  of  the  sons  of  Judah^  to  their  families^  was 
to  the  boundary  of  Edom^  the  desert  of  Zin  south- 
wards  from  the  extremity  of  Teman,  Teman  means 
"south,"  it  is  true,  but  as  the  writer  has  just  used 
"  Negeb  "  for  "  south,"  and  uses  it  immediately 
7  J 


146  COMMENTAKY   ON 


2  And  their  south  border  was  from  the  shore  of  the 
salt  sea,  from  the  bay  that  looketh  southward: 

3  And  it  went  out  to  the  south  side  to  Maaleh-acrab- 
bim,  and  passed  along  to  Zin,  and  ascended  up  on  the 
south  side  unto  Kadesh-barnea,  and  passed  along  to 
Hezron,  and  went  up  to  Adar,  and  fetched  a  compass 
to  Karkaa: 


again  in  ver.  2,  it  is  almost  certain  that  here  he 
means  "  Teman  "  for  the  country  of  Teman,  which 
seems  to  have  been  the  southern  portion  of  Eclom, 
perhaps  from  Mount  Hor  to  the  Reel  Sea.  The 
boundary  of  Juclah  was,  according  to  this  passage, 
the  boundary  of  Edom,  along  the  Arabah  to  the 
point  where,  in  the  Arabah,  jo\i  reach  the  north 
extremity  of  Teman,  near  Mount  Hor.  This  point 
is  exactly  opposite  Mukhrah,  near  which  we  believe 
Kadesh  is  to  be  sited. 

Veil  2.  Ba^.  Lit.,  "  tongue."  Reference  is 
had  to  the  shallow  basin  at  the  south  of  the  Dead 
Sea,  which  is  shut  in  like  a  bay  by  the  remarkable 
projection  of  land  from  Moab. 

Ver.  3.  Maaleh-Acrahhim  ("  Height  of  Scorpi- 
ons "  )  is  supposed  by  Robinson  to  be  the  range  of 
chalky  cliffs  which  abruptly  terminate  the  Arabah, 
eight  miles  south  of  the  Dead  Sea.  Over  this  cliff 
the  border  passed  into  the  Zin  desert  (^.e.,  the  Ara- 
bah) ;  and  when  it  had  reached  its  southernmost 
point  (see  on  ver.  1),  it  turned  westward,  and 
climbed  out  of  the  Arabah  up  to  Kadesh  (chap.  xiv. 
6).  From  Kadesh  the  hor^QT passed  to  Hezron,  then 
went  up  to  Adar,  then  turned  itself  to  Karkaa,  then 
passed  to  Azmon,  and  went  out  to  the  river  of  Egypt, 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XV.  147 

4  From  thence  it  passed  toward  Azmon,  and  went  out 
unto  the  river  of  Egypt;  and  the  goings  out  of  that 
coast  were  at  the  sea:  this  shall  be  your  south  coast. 

and  so  went  out  to  the  sea.  These  different  verbs 
may  help  fix  the  sites  of  these  places.  We  may 
suppose  a  west  line  to  Hezron,  then  on  a  line  still 
going  west  an  ascent  to  Adar,  then  a  bend  north- 
westwards to  Karkaa,  then  a  continuation  of  this 
line  to  Azmon,  and  then,  by  another  turn  (Num. 
xxxiv.  5),  to  the  river  of  Egypt.  Now  the  "river 
of  Egypt,"  or  rather  ''  torrent  of  Egypt,"  is  believed 
to  be  the  Wady  el-Arish.  If  this  be  so  (and  the 
presumption  is  very  strong),  then  we  may  put  Az- 
mon a  little  east  of  Jebel  Helal,  and  Karkaa  by 
Wady  el-Jerur.  Adar  Avould  be  on  the  heights  by 
Jebel  Ikhrurim,  and  Hezron  at  the  south  of  the 
Mukhrah. 

Of  course  all  this  is  conjecture,  but  founded  on 
the  verbs  used  in  the  description.  None  of  these 
places  is  identified.  If  our  conjecture  be  correct, 
then  the  tribe  of  Judah  extended  forty  miles 
further  south  than  the  Dead  Sea,  and  its  southern 
curved  boundary  was  one  hundred  miles  long 
from  the  Arabah  to  the  mouth  of  Wady  el-Ar- 
ish. (Others  would  have  the  south  boundary 
run  through  Wady  Fikrah,  Wady  Maderah,  and 
Wady  Muzzeh). 

Ver.  4.  This  shall  he  your  south  coast.  This  is 
an  insertion  of  the  sacred  writer,  asserting  to  all 
Israel  that  Judah's  south  boundary  thus  given 
should  be  the  south  boundary  of  all  Israel. 


148  COINCMENTAEY  ON 

5  And  ■fhe  east  border  icasihe  salt  sea,  even  unto  the 
end  of  Jordan:  and  (heir  border  in  the  north  quarter 
was  from  the  bay  of  the  sea,  at  the  uttermost  part  of 
Jordan : 

6  And  the  border  went  up  to  Beth-hogla,  and  passed 
along  by  the  north  of  Beth-arabah;  and  the  border  went 
up  to  the  stone  of  Bohan  the  son  of  Reuben: 


Ver.  5.  The  east  border  of  Jiidah  (excluding 
the  east  border  already  given  in  the  south  border, 
see  on  ver.  1)  was  the  Dead  Sea  in  its  entire 
length,  the  north  border  finding  its  eastern  corner 
at  the  northern  extremity  of  that  sea,  where  the 
Jordan  empties  into  it.  The  north  border  is  de- 
scribed from  this  verse  to  ver.  11,  inclusive,  and 
although  this  border  is  not  much  more  than  half 
the  length  of  the  south  border,  j^et  far  more  details 
are  given,  on  account  of  the  greater  importance  of 
this  inter-tribal  border,  and  also  on  account  of  the 
well-marked  localities  which  made  an  exact  de- 
scription easy. 

Ver.  6.  Beth-hogla  (now  Ain-hajla)  is  about 
four  miles  north-west  of  the  exit  of  the  Jordan. 
The  border  went  up  out  of  the  Jordan  hollow  to 
this  point. 

Beth-arahah  must  have  been  in  the  northern 
Arabah  or  Ghor,  as  was  Beth-hogla.  In  ver.  61, 
it  is  said  to  be  in  "  the  wilderness,"  which  name 
includes  evidently  so  much  of  the  depressed  plain  of 
Jordan  as  belonged  to  Judah.  Since  in  chap,  xviii., 
where  this  border  is  again  given,  a  "  shoulder  "  or 
ridge  is  mentioned  (translated  "  side  "),  as  by  Beth- 
arabah  and  Beth-hogla,  we  may  put  Beth-arabah 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XY.  149 

7  And  the  border  went  np  toward  Debir  from  the 
valley  of  Achor,  and  so  northward  looking  toward 
Gilgal,  that  is  before  the  going  up  to  Adummim,  which 
is  on  the  south  side  of  the  river:  and  the  border  passed 
toward  the  waters  of  En-shemesh,  and  the  goings  out 
thereof  were  at  En-rogel: 

west  of  Beth-hogla,  about  a  mile  near  the  ridge 
of  Katar  Hhadije,  a  low  ridge  running  through  the 
Arabah  to  the  Dead  Sea.     (See  Keil.) 

The  stone  of  Bolian  the  son  of  Reuben  was  some 
monument  erected  probably  by  Israel  while  en- 
camping at  Gilgal,  after  taking  Jericho,  perhaps 
commemorating  a  prominent  Reubenite.  It  must 
have  been  on  the  spur  of  the  heights  west  of  the 
Ghor. 

Ver.  7.  The  valley  of  Achor  must  be  the  Wady 
Kelte  (See  on  chap.  vii.  24.)  Up  that  wady  the 
line  ran  toward  Dehir  (somewhere  near  the  Khan 
Hudi'ur,  near  which  is  Wady  Dabor).  Then  it 
turned  northward  to  Gilgal  ("  Geliloth  "  in  chap, 
xviii.  17),  which  is  opposite  the  going  up  to  Adum- 
mim.  This  latter  place  is  identified  with  Kalaat 
ed-Dem  on  the  north  of  the  Jerusalem  and  Jericho 
road,  where  the  soil  is  red.  Adummim  signifies 
"red."  This  Gilgal  (or  Geliloth),  therefore,  is  a 
place  near  this  spot,  and  not  the  Gilgal  where 
Israel  encamped  down  in  the  Arabah  or  Ghor. 

The  river  mentioned  here  is  Wady  Kelt.  The 
word  means  "  torrent,"  or  ''  torrent-valley." 

En-shemesh  is  now  Ain  el-Hodh,  below  Bethany. 

En-rogel  is  the  well-known  fountain  of  Job  or 
Nehemiah  in  the  deep  defile  south-east  of  Jerusa- 
lem. 


150  CO:NrMENTARY   ON 

8  And  the  border  went  up  by  the  valley  of  the  son 
of  Hinnom,  unto  the  south  side  of  the  Jebusite;  the 
same  is  Jerusalem:  and  the  border  went  up  to  the  top 
of  the  mountain  that  lleth  before  the  valley  of  Hinnom 
westward,  which  is  at  the  end  of  the  valley  of  the  giants 
northward: 

9  And  the  border  was  drawn  from  the  top  of  the  hill 
unto  the  fountain  of  the  water  of  Nephtoah,  and  went 
out  to  the  cities  of  mount  Ephron;  and  the  border  was 
drawn  to  Baalah,  which  is  Kirjath-jearim: 

10  And  the  border  compassed  from  Baalah  west- 
ward unto  mount  Seir,  and  passed  along  unto  the  side 
of  mount  Jearim  (which  is  Chesalon)  on  the  north 
side,  and  went  down  to  Beth-shemesh,  and  passed  on 
to  Timnah: 

Ver.  8.  The  valley  of  the  son  of  Hinnom  is  the 
deep  ravine  skirting  the  south  of  Jerusalem.  It  is 
called  here  also  "  the  valley  of  Hinnom  "  (^ge-hin- 
noni)^  from  which  form  comes  the  use  of  Ge-henna 
for  the  place  of  eternal  punishment. 

The  Jebusite.  So  ''the  Archite "  and  "the 
Japhletite  "  in  the  Hebrew  (chap.  xvi.  2,  3).  The 
Gentile  noun  is  used  for  the  noun  of  locality. 

The  valley  of  the  giants  (Rephaim)  is  a  broad 
and  shallow  depression  running  southward  from 
the  brow  of  the  valley  of  Hinnom. 

The  mountain  mentioned  in  this  verse  is  the 
ridge  by  the  Convent  of  the  Cross. 

Ver.  9.  Nephtoah  is  now  Lifta,  on  the  edge  of 
"Wady  Beit  Hanina. 

Mount  Ephron  must  be  the  high  range  from 
Neby  Samwil  to  Soba. 

Baalah^  or  Kirjath-jearirn,  is  identified  with  Kiu-- 
yet  el-Enab. 

Ver.  10.  Mount  Seir  is  the  high  ridge  on  which 
is  Saris. 


JOSHUA,    CHAP.   XV.  151 

11  And  the  border  went  out  unto  the  side  of  Ekron 
northward:  and  the  border  was  drawn  to  Shicron,  and 
passed  along  to  mount  Baalah,  and  went  out  unto  Jab- 
neel;  and  the  goings  out  of  the  border  were  at  the  sea. 

12  And  the  west  border  teas  to  the  great  sea,  and  the 
coast  thereof:  this  is  the  coast  of  the  children  of  Judah 
round  about,  according  to  their  families. 

18  Tf  And  unto  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh  he  gave 
a  part  among  the  children  of  Judah,  according  to  the 
commandment  of  the  Lord  to  Joshua,  even  the  city  of 
Arba  to  the  father  of  Anak,  which  city  is  Hebron. 

14  And  Caleb  drove  thence  the  three  sons  of  Anak, 
Sheshai,  and  Ahiman,  and  Talmai,  the  children  of 
Anak. 

15  And  he  went  up  thence  to  the  inhabitants  of 
Debir :  and  the  name  of  Debir  before  teas  Kirjath- 
sepher. 

Mount  Jeartm,  or  Ohesalon  (on  Mount  Jearim), 
is  now  Kesla,  on  the  lofty  summit  between  VVacly 
Ghurah  and  Wacly  Israain. 

Beth-shemesh  is  now  Ain  Shems. 

Timnath,  conspicuous  in  Samson's  history,  is 
Tibneh,  where  one  looks  out  on  the  Philistine 
plain. 

Ver.  11.  Ekron.     (See  chap.  xiii.  3.) 

Shicron  cannot  be  identified. 

3Iount  Baalah  uiiist  be  the  ridge  west  of  Ekron. 

Jahneel  is  Yebna,  south  and  west  of  the  Nahr 
Rubin. 

Ver.  12.  The  west  border  of  Judah  was  the 
Mediterranean  Sea. 

Ver.  13.     See  on  chap.  xiv.  6-15. 

Ver.  14-19.  This  reconquest  of  Hebron  and 
A/icinity  occurred  after  Joshua's  death.  (See 
Judg.  i.  1,  9-15.)  It  is  here  inserted  as  a^Dper- 
taining  to  the  history  of  Judah's  allotment.     The 


152  CO:\LMENTAIlY   ON 

16  ^  And  Caleb  said,  He  that  smiteth  Kirjath-sepher, 
and  taketli  it,  to  him  will  I  give  Achsah  my  daughter 
to  wife. 

17  And  Othniel  the  son  of  Kenaz,  the  brother  of 
Caleb,  took  it:  and  he  gave  him  Achsah  his  daughter 
to  wife. 

18  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  she  came  unto  him,  that 
she  moved  him  to  ask  of  her  father  a  field:  and  she 

reason  why  Caleb  waited  more  than  twent}^  years 
before  reconquering  his  inheritance  may  have  been 
his  desire  to  see  all  others  settled  before  himself, 
for  he  was  a  man  of  a  large  and  noble  nature. 

The  three  sons  of  Anak  is  probably  the  three 
families  of  the  Anakim. 

Debir.     (See  on  chap.  x.  38.) 

Ver.  16.  Caleb  was  now  (^.e.,  after  Joshua's 
death)  about  one  hundred  and  eight  years  old,  and 
hence  sought  others  to  fight  his  battles. 

Ver.  17.  Othniel  the  son  of  Kenaz ^  the  brother  of 
Caleb.  The  Masorites,  by  their  pointing  (both 
here  and  in  Judg.  i.  13,  and  iii.  9),  make  Othniel 
the  brother  of  Caleb.  This  would  make  Achsah 
marry  her  uncle,  which  Keil  asserts  was  not  for- 
bidden in  the  law.  It  seems,  however,  to  be 
against  the  spirit  of  Lev.  xviii.  14.  Moreover,  it  is 
unlikely  that  Caleb  should  have  a  brother  so  young 
as  to  be  a  judge  of  Israel  for  forty  years  after 
Joshua's  death  (Judg.  iii.  11).  I  prefer,  therefore, 
to  take  the  word  '-'-  brother  "  to  refer  to  Kenaz,  the 
younger  brother  of  Caleb,  whose  son  was  Othniel. 
Kenaz  would  be  a  family  name,  repeated  in  0th- 
niel's  father. 

Vee.  18.  Achsah  induced  her  new  husband  to 


JOSHUA,    CHAP.    XV.  158 

lighted  off  her  ass;  and  Caleb   said  imto  her,  "What 
wouldest  thou? 

19  Who  answered,  Give  me  a  blessing;  for  thou 
hast  given  me  a  south  land,  giv^e  me  also  springs  of 
water:  and  he  gave  her  the  upper  springs,  and  the 
nether  springs. 

20  This  is  the  inheritance  of  the  tribe  of  the  children 
of  Judah  according  to  their  families. 

ask  a  piece  of  land  from  her  father.  This  being 
given,  Achsah  herself,  on  alighting  from  her  ass  at 
her  husband's  dwellmg,  to  which  Caleb  had  accom- 
panied her,  looks  a  request  at  her  father,  and,  on 
his  inquiry,  speaks  it. 

Caleb  had  given  her,  as  a  marriage  portion,  at 
Othniel's  request,  a  south  land  (or,  lit.,  ''  the  south 
land  "),  probably  a  well-known  region  near  Hebron, 
wdiich  was  exposed  to  extreme  heats.  Achsah 
asks  for  the  possession  of  springs,  to  which  her 
cattle  may  have  access.  The  father,  full  of  affec- 
tion, gives  her  more  than  she  asks  for.  He  gives 
her  two  sources  of  water,  known  in  the  neigh- 
borhood as  Gulloth  Illiyyoth  and  Gulloth  Tach- 
tiyyoth  ("  the  upper  springs  "  and  "  the  lower 
springs  "). 

Vek.  20.  This  is  the  preface  to  the  list  of  prin- 
cipal towns  of  Judah,  which  follow  in  four  sec- 
tions, those  in  ih.Q  Negeh  (the  technical  "south" 
of  Judah,  including  all  south  of  a  line  from  the 
Dead  Sea  opposite  el-Lisan  to  the  Mediterranean 
near  Gaza),  those  in  the  Sheplielah  (the  fertile 
plain  on  the  coast),  those  in  the  mountain  country, 
and  those  in  the  wilderness  (the  Jordan  valley 
and  west  skirts  of  the  Dead  Sea).  In  this  list  the 
7* 


154  CO:\rMENTARY   ON 

21  And  the  uttermost  cities  of  the  tribe  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Judah  toward  thi'  coast  of  Edom  southward 
were  Kabzeel,  and  Eder,  and  JagLir, 

22  And  lunah,  and  Dimonah,  and  Adadah, 

23  And  Kedesh.  and  Hazor,  and  Ithmau, 
21  Ziph,  and  Telem,  and  Bealoth, 

25  And  Hazor,  Hadattah,  and  Kerioth,  and  Hezron, 
•which  is  Hazor, 

26  Amani,  and  Shema,  and  Moladah, 

absence  of  the  conjunction  shows  in  each  case  the 
beginning  of  a  new  group.  ^ 

Ver.  21.  First  Division.  The  towns  of  the 
Negeb.  This  region  was  intermediate  between 
the  fertile  country  and  the  desert.  It  was  princi- 
pally a  grazing  country,  though  here  and  there 
susceptible  of  cultivation. 

First  group.  Kahzeel^  Ede7\  and  Jagur  are  not 
identified. 

Ver.  22.  Kinah,  Dimonah,  Adadali.  All  un- 
known. 

Ver.  23.  Kedesh  is  Kadesh-barnea  (chap.  xiv. 
6.)  Hazor  is  probably  the  Hezron  of  chap.  xv.  3. 
Ithman  is  unknown. 

Ver.  24.  Second  group.  Ziph,  Telem,  Bealoth. 
All  unknown. 

Ver.  25.  Should  read,  "  And  Sazor-hadattah 
(new  Hazor),  and  Kerioth-hezron,  which  is  Hazor.'*'' 
These  places  are  unknown.  Hazor  and  Hezron 
each  mean  "  walled  town."  Hence  the  name  is 
common. 

Ver.  26.  Third  group.  Aviam  and  Shema  are 
unknown.  Moladah  is  el-Milh,  east  of  Beer- 
sheba. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XV.  155 

27  And  Hazar-gaddah,  and  Heshmon,  and  Beth- 
palet, 

28  And  Hazar-shual,  and  Beer-sheba,  and  Biz- 
jothjah, 

2D  Baalah,  and  lim,  and  Azein, 

30  And  Eltolad,  and  Chesil,  and  Ilormah, 

31  And  Ziklag,  and  jNIadmannah,  and  ISansannah, 

32  And  Lebaoth,  and  Shilhim,  and  Ain,  and  Rim- 
mon:  all  the  cities  are  twenty  and  nine,  with  their  vil- 
lages: 

Ver.  27.  Hazar-gaddah,  Heshmon,  Beth-palet^ 
are  unknown. 

Ver.  28.  Hazai^-shiial  and  Blzjothjah  are  un- 
known.    Beer-sheba  is  Bir  es-Seba. 

Ver.  29.  Fourth  group.  Baalah,  lim,  Azem, 
are  unknown. 

Ver.  30.  Eltolad  and  Chesil  are  unknown,  al- 
though Knobel  ingeniously  connects  the  latter  with 
Khulasa  (Elusa).  It  seems  to  be  the  same  as 
Bethul  of  chap.  xix.  4,  Bethuel  of  1  Chron.  iv.  30, 
and  Bethel  of  1  Sam.  xxx.  27.  Hormah.  (See  on 
chap.  xii.  14.) 

Ver.  31.  Ziklag  is  probably  Aslaj  on  the  road 
from  el-Milh  to  Abdeh.  Madmannah  and  Saiisan- 
nah,  called  Beth-marcabeth  and  Hazar-susah  in 
chap.  xix.   5,   are  not  known. 

Ver.  32.  Lebaoth  is  Beth-lebaoth  in  chap.  xix.  6, 
and  Beth-birei  in  1  Chron.  iv.  31.  Shilhim  is 
Sharuhen  in  chap.  xix.  6,  and  Shaaraim  in  1 
Chron.  iv.  31.  Neither  of  these  are  known,  nor 
are  Ain  and  Bimnwn. 

Tiveyity  and  nine.  There  are  thirty-six  in  the 
list.  As  numbers  were  always  liable  to  incorrect 
transcription,  this  is  doubtless  an  instance. 


156  CO^niENTARY    ON 

33  And  in  the  valley,  Eshtaol,  and  Zoreah,  and 
Ashnah, 

3A  And  Zanoah,  and  En-gannim,  Tappuah,  and 
En  am, 

35  Jarmuth,  and  AduUam,  Socoh,  and  Azekah, 

36  And  Sharaim,  and  Adithaim,  and  Gederah,  and 
Gederothaim;  fourteen  cities  \vith  their  villages: 

37  Zenan,  and  Hadashah,  and  Migdal-gad," 

38  And  Dilean,  and  Mizpeh,  and  Joktheel, 

Ver.  33.  Second  Division.  In  the  valley^  z.e., 
the  Shephelah.  The  "  Ashedoth,"  or  "  outpour- 
ings of  the  wadies,"  are  included  here  in  the  Sheph- 
elah. These  Ashedoth  are  the  western  spurs  of 
the  mountains.  The  word  is  translated  ''  springs  '* 
in  chap.  xii.  8. 

First  group.  Eshtaol  is  probably  Yeshu'a,  four- 
teen miles  west  of  Jerusalem.  Zoreah  is  Zurah, 
very  near  to  Eshtaol.     Ashnah  is  unknown. 

Ver.  34.  Zanoah  is  Zanua.  En-gannim  is  un- 
known. 

Second  group.  Tappuah  and  Enam  are  un- 
known. 

Ver.  35.  Third  group.  Jarmuth.  (See  on  chap, 
xii.  15.)     AduUam,     (See  on  chap.  xii.  15.) 

Fourth  group.  Socoh  is  Shuweikeh,  near  to  and 
south  of  Jarmuth,     Azekah.    (See  on  chap.  x.  10.) 

Ver.  36.  Sharaim,  or  Shaaraim,  is  undoubtedly 
Tell  Zakariya  on  the  edge  of  Wady  Sumt.  Adith- 
aim,  G-ederah,  and  Gederothaim  are  unknown. 
Gederah  may  be  Kudna,  south  of  Deir  Dubban. 

Fourteen  cities.  "There  are  fifteen  in  the  list. 
(See  remark  on  ver.   32.) 

Ver.  37-41,    Fifth   group.      Zenan,  Hadashah, 


JOSHUA,    CHAP.    XV.  15"' 

39  Lachish,  and  Bozkath,  and  Eglon, 

40  And  Cabbon,  and  Lahmam,  and  Kitblish, 

41  And  Gederotb,  Beth-dagon,  and  Naamah,  and 
INIakkedah;  sixteen  cities  with  their  villages: 

42  Libnah,  and  Ether,  and  Ashan, 

43  And  Jiphtah,  and  Ashnah,  and  Nezib, 

44  And  Keilah,  and  Achzib,  and  Mareshah ;  nine 
cities  with  their  villages: 

45  Ekron,  with  her  towns  and  her  villages: 

46  From  Ekron  even  unto  the  sea,  all  that  lay  near 
Ashdod,  with  their  villages: 

47  Ashdod,  with  her  towns  and  her  villages;  Gaza, 
"with  her  towns  and  her  villages,  unto  the  river  of 
Egypt,  and  the  great  sea,  and  the  border  thereof: 

Migdal-gad,  Dilean^  MizpeJi,  Joktheel.  Sixth  group. 
Lachish^  Bozkath.  Eglon^  Cahhon^  Lahmam^  Kltlilish^ 
G-ederoth.  Seventh  group.  Beth-dagon^  Naamah^ 
3Iakkedah,  Of  these  sixteen  towns  only  Lachish 
and  Eglon  are  identified  with  any  certainty.  (See 
on  chap.  x.  3.)  Migdal-gad  may  be  Mejdel,  near 
Ashkelon,  and  Cabbon  possibly  may  be  Kubeibeh, 
seven  miles  east  of  Eglon.  G-ederoth  is  prob- 
ably the  same  as  the  Kedron  of  1  Mace.  xv.  39,  41, 
and  xvi.  9,  now  Kutrah,  south  of  the  Nehr  Rubin. 
Joktheel  may  be  Huleikat,  north  of  Um  Lakis. 
Makkedah.     (See  on  chap.  x.  10.) 

Ver.  42-44.  Eighth  group.  Libnah,  Ether, 
Ashan,  Jiphtah,  Ashnah,  Nezib,  Keilah,  Achzib, 
Mareshah.  For  Libnah,  see  on  chap.  x.  29. 
Keilah  may  be  Kila,  at  the  head  of  the  Safieh  or 
Monsurah  Wady.  Achzib  is  put  at  Ain  Kusaba 
by  Keil.  Mareshah  is  probably  Maresh,  south  of 
Beit  Jibrin.  Nezib  is  Beit  Nusib,  near  Kila.  The 
other  four  places  are  unknown. 

Ver.  45-47.  Ninth  group.     Ekron,  Ashdod,  and 


158  COMMENTAKY   ON 

48  ^  And  in  the  mountains,  Shamir,  and  Jattir,  and 
Socoh, 

49  And  Dannah,  and  Kirjath-sannah,  which  is  Debir, 

50  And  Anab,  and  Eshtemoh,  and  Anim, 

51  And  Goshen,  and  Holon,  and  Giloh;  eleven  cities 
with  their  villages : 

Gaza  are  mentioned  of  the  Philistine  cities,  because 
they  touch  the  northern,  western,  and  southern 
limits  of  the  Philistine  land.  Gath  and  Ashkelon 
are  omitted,  as  included  in  this  outline.  No  further 
detail  is  given,  because  Israel  never  gained  full 
possession  of  this  region  until  the  days  of  Solomon, 
and  even  then  did  not  themselves  occupy  it. 

Ver.  46.  Read,  F^-om  Ekron  seaward  (or  west- 
ward), all  (z.e.,  the  cities)  that  was  on  the  Ashdod 
side  and  their  (the  unnamed  cities)  villages.  Be- 
tween Ekron  and  Ashdod  were  some  large  and 
important  Philistine  cities,  although  not  so  famous 
as  the  five,  as,  for  example,  Jabneh  (2  Chron. 
xxvi.  6),  called  Jabneel  in  this  chapter,  ver.  11. 
The  LXX  reads  Jabneh  (in  the  form  Jemnai)  in 
this  place  for  the  phrase  ''  even  unto  the  sea." 

Ver.  47.   The  river  of  Egypt.     (See  on  ver.  4.) 

The  border  of  the  great  sea  is  the  strip  of  land  be- 
tween the  cities  and  the  water. 

Ver.  48.  Third  Division.  In  the  mountains^  i.e.., 
in  the  "hill-country,"  or  mountain  centre  of  the  re- 
gion between  the  Dead  Sea  and  the  Mediterranean. 
Its  height  at  Hebron  is  three  thousand  feet  above 
the  sea.     It  is  a  limestone  range,  with  rich  valleys. 

Ver.  48-51.  First  group.  Shamir  is  unknown. 
Jattir  is   Attir.      Socoh   is    Shuweikeh.      Dannah 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.    XV.  159 

52  Arab,  and  Dumah,  and  Eshean, 

53  And  Janum,  and  Beth-tappuah,  and  Aphekah, 
51  And  Ilumtah,  and  Kirjath-arVja  (which  is  Hebron) 

and  Zior;  nine  cities  with  their  villages: 
55  Maon,  Carniel,  and  Ziph,  and  Juttah, 
53  And  Jezreel,  and  Jokdeam,  and  Zanoah, 
57  Cain,  Gibeah,  and  Timnah;  ten  cities  with  their 

villages : 

is  perhaps,  as  Knobel  suggests,  Zanutah.  Kirjath- 
sannaJi,  or  Debir.  (See  on  chap.  x.  38.)  Anab  is 
still  so  called.  Eslitemoh  is  es-Semua.  Anim  is 
el-Ghuwein.  Goshen^  Holon^  and  Giloli  are  un- 
known. The  first  of  the  three  is,  doubtless,  con- 
nected with  the  ''  land  of  Goshen  "  of  chap.  x. 
41,  and  chap.  xi.  16.  (See  1.  c.)  All  this  group 
occupies  the  region  about  the  sources  of  Wady 
el-Khulil. 

Ver.  52-54.  Second  group.  Arab  and  EsTieayi, 
are  unknown.  Dumah  is  Daumeh.  Janum  and 
AphehaJi  are  unknown.  Beth-tappuali  is  Teffuh. 
HumtaJi  and  Zior  are  unknown.  Kirjath-arba^  or 
Hebron.  (See  on  chap.  x.  3.)  All  this  group  is 
north  of  the  first. 

Ver.  55-56.  Third  group,  ilia o?i  is  Main.  Car- 
mel  is  Kurmul.  These  two  places  are  so  close  to- 
gether, that  the  lack  of  a  conjunction  cannot  be 
considered  as  putting  them  in  different  groups. 
Perhaps  the  conjunction  has  dropped  out.  Ziph  is 
Zif.  Juttah  is  Jutta.  Jezreel^  Jokdeam ^^w^  Za)ioah 
are  unknown.    This  group  lies  east  of  the  other  two. 

Ver.  57.  Fourth  group.  Cain^  Gibeah^  and 
Timnah  are  unknown.  A  wav  (i.e.,  "  and ")  is 
probably  dropped  between  Cain  and  Gibeah. 


160  com:mentaey  on 

58  Halhul,  Beth-zur,  and  Gedor, 

53  And  Maarath.  and  Beth-anoth,  and  Eltckon;  six 
cities  with  their  villages: 

GO  Kirjatli-baal  (which  is  Kirjatli-jearim)  and  Kab- 
bah; two  cities  with  their  villages: 

(Jl  In  the  wilderness,  Beth-araba,  Middin,  and  Se- 
cacah, 

G2  And  Xibshan,  and  the  city  of  Salt,  and  En-gedi; 
six  cities  with  their  villages. 

Yek.  58,  59.  Fifth  group.  HaUiul,  BetJi-zitr^  and 
Gedor  still  retain  their  names,  scarcely  altered  at 
all.  Maarath  may^  be  Beit  Kheiran.  Beth-anoth 
is  Beit-anim.  Eltehon  is  unknown.  This  group 
is  north  of  all  the  preceding.  The  sixth  group,  as 
given  in  the  LXX,  is  AA^anting  in  the  Hebrew. 
They  have  been  accidentally  dropped  out.  They 
are  Theko  (Tekua),  Ephratha  orBaithleem  (Beth- 
lehem, now  Beit-lahm),  Phagor  (Faghur),  Aitan 
(Ain  Attan),  Koulon  (Kuloniyeh),  Tatam,  Thobes, 
Karem  (Ain  Karim),  Galem,  Thether  (Bittir),and 
Manocho.     This  group  is  north  of  all  the  rest. 

Yer.  60.  Seventh  group.  Kirjath-haal^  or  Kir- 
jath-jearim.  (See  on  chap.  ix.  17.)  Rahhah  is  not 
identified. 

Yer.  61,  62.  Fourth  Division.  In  the  tvilder- 
ness^  i.e.,  tlie  eastern  slope  of  the  mountain  region, 
which  is  bare  and  rugged  to  the  Dead  Sea,  and 
including  so  much  of  the  Jordan  plain  as  apper- 
tained to  Judah.  It  was  all  a  barren  region, 
except  in  small  oases  by  fountains. 

Beth-arahah.  (See  on  ver.  6.)  Middin  is  per- 
haps Mird.  Secaeah  may  be  Ain  el-Feshkhah. 
Nibshan  cannot  be  identified.     Ir-hammelach  (city 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  xy.  161 

63  ^  As  for  the  Jebusites,  the  inhabitants  of  Jeru- 
salem, the  children  of  Judah  could  not  drive  them  out: 
but  the  Jebusites  dwell  with  the  children  of  Judah  at 
Jerusalem  unto  this  day. 

of  salt)  may  be  preserved  in  the  Wacly  er-Rmail. 
It  must  have  been  in  that  southern  region  of  the 
Dead  Sea.  (Comp.  2  Sam.  viii.  13 ;  2  Ki.  xiv.  7  ; 
Ps.  Ix.  2.)     En-gedi  is  Ain  Jidi. 

Yer.  63.  With  the  children  of  Judah,  Jerusa- 
lem belonged  to  Benjamin.  But  on  comparing 
chap,  xviii.  28,  Judg.  i.  21,  and  this  verse  together, 
it  seems  that  Judah  and  Benjamin  had  combined 
to  reduce  this  city,  but  on  failing,  had  both  been 
represented  in  the  settlement  of  the  lower  town, 
the  citadel  on  Zion  remaining  till  David's  time  in 
the  hands  of  the  Jebusites. 


162  COMiSrENTARY   ON 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


Joseph's  Lot. 


1  And  the  lot  of  the  children  of  Joseph  fell  from 
Jordan  by  Jericho,  unto  the  water  of  Jericho,  on  the 
east,  to  the  wilderness  that  goeth  up  from  Jericho 
throughout  mount  Beth-el, 

Ver.  1.  Fell.  Heb.,  "went  forth."  The  word 
constantly  used  with  this  translation  in  all  this 
description  of  boundary.  "The  lot  went  forth" 
means  exactly  the  same  with  "  the  border  went 
forth,"  as  in  verses  6  and  8,  the  lot  being  used 
metaphoricalh'  for  its  result. 

The  water  of  Jericho  is  the  celebrated  Ain  es-Sul- 
tan,  the  source  of  Jericho's  fertility. 

On  the  east.  This  phrase  is  used  here  preg- 
nantly. It  means  that  this  line  from  the  Jordan 
to  Jericho's  waters  was  east  of  the  JNIount  Bethel 
wilderness,  and  yet  it  serves  to  show  that  this 
whole  portion  of  the  boundary  was  the  eastern 
portion.  The  "to"  is  not  found  in  the  Hebrew 
before  "  the  wilderness." 

3Iou7it  Bethel  is  the  high  bare  region  lying  east 
of  Bethel,  on  which  probably  the  golden  calf  of 
Bethel  was  in  later  ages  situated. 

This  boundary  probably  followed  up  the  Wady 
Nawaimeh  and  Mutyah  the  whole  way  from  the 
Jordan  to  Bethel. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XVI.  163 

2  And  goeth  out  from  Beth-el  to  Luz,  and  passeth 
along  unto  tho  borders  of  Arclii  to  Ataroth, 

3  And  goeth  down  westward  to  the  coast  of  Japhleti, 
unto  the  coast  of  Beth-horon  the  nether,  and  to  Gezer: 
and  the  goings  out  thereof  are  at  the  sea. 

4  So  the  children  of  Joseph,  Manasseh  and  Ephraim, 
took  their  inheritance. 


Ver.  2.  From  Bethel  to  Luz.  This  Luz  is  Khur- 
bet  el-Lozeh,  three  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Bethel, 
which  was  perhaps  the  city  built  by  the  man  who 
came  from  the  other  Luz  (Bethel).  (See  Judg.  i. 
26.  Also  see  Van  de  Velde's  ISIotes  on  the  Map» 
2d  ed.  p.  16.) 

The  borders  of  Arehi,  or  rather  "  the  border  of 
the  Archite."  The  Archite,  like  the  "  Jebusite," 
may  refer  to  a  remnant  of  an  old  Canaanite  tribe, 
or  some  inhabitant  of  the  Babylonian  Erech  (of 
which  ''  Archite  "  is  the  Gentile  noun)  may  have 
settled  in  this  part  of  Canaan. 

Ataroth  cannot  be  Atara,  a  mile  or  two  south  of 
Beeroth,  but  must  be  sought  near  the  nether  Beth- 
horon.     (See  chap,  xviii.  13.) 

Ver.  3.  Japhleti.  Rather,  ''the  Japhletite." 
Who  he  was  we  cannot  tell.  But  his  locality  must 
have  been,  it  seems,  between  Wady  Suleiman  and 
the  Beth-horon  pass. 

Gezer.     (See  on  chap.  x.  33.) 

The  places  mentioned  in  these  surveys  are  not 
necessarily  on  the  lines.  They  may  be  mentioned  as 
prominent  localities  near  the  lines.  We  beheve  that 
tlie  line  of  Joseph  started  at  the  Jordan  with  Wady 
Nawaimeh,   and  followed    that   wady    (afterward 


164  COMMENTARY  ON 

5  ^  And  the  border  of  the  children  of  Ephraim  ac- 
cording to  their  families  was  Ihus:  even  the  border  of 
their  inheritance  on  the  cast  side  was  Ataroth-addar, 
nnto  Beth-horon  the  upper; 

G  And  the  border  went  out  toward  the  sea  to  ]\lich- 
methah  on  the  north  side ;  and  the  border  went  about 
eastward  unto  Taanath-shiloh,  and  passed  by  it  on  tho 
east  to  Janohah; 

called  Mutyah)  to  Bethel's  vicinity,  and  then 
struck  over  to  Wady  Budrus  and  Wady  Miizeiiah 
to  the  sea.  This  would  be  a  natural  and  readily 
followed  boundary.  But  in  making  it,  we  cannot 
consider  the  places  mentioned  as  exactly  on  the  line. 

Ver.  5.  The  border  of  Ephraim  is  here  desig- 
nated as  forming  a  part  of  Joseph.  There  seems 
to  be  some  error  in  the  text  in  this  verse.  We 
should  expect  to  read,  "  the  border  of  their  inheri- 
tance ({.e.,  their  south  border)  was/rom  the  east  to 
Ataroth-addar  and  Beth-horon  the  nether.''^  The 
same  boundary  of  course  as  that  described  in  ver. 
1-3  is  here  intended,  for  Ephraim  lying  south  of 
Manasseh  would  have  Joseph's  south  boundary  as 
Jiis  south  boundary.  The  Hebrew  mizrachah^  "  on 
the  east  side,"  may  be  an  error  for  mimmizi^acli^ 
"  from  the  east."  Or  mizrachah  may  mean,  "  be- 
ginning on  the  east  side."  (See  remark  on  yammaJi 
in  the  next  note.)  Ataroth-addar  must  be  the  same 
as  Ataroth  in  ver.  2.  Beth-horon  the  nether  lies 
at  the  foot  of  the  pass  on  a  rising  ground,  and  by  it 
swept  the  boundary  line  (ver.  3).  It  is  true  Beth- 
horon  the  upper  is  not  far  off,  at  the  summit  of  the 
pass  ;  but  why  should  the  change  be  made  ? 

Ver.  6.  Michmethah  is  "  over  against"  (alpnd) 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XVI.  165 


7  And  it  went  down  from  Janohah  to  Ataroth,  and 
to  Naarath,  and  came  to  Jericho,  and  went  out  at 
Jordan. 


Shechem  (chap.  xvii.  7).  This  is  generally  used 
for  an  easterly  direction,  yet  it  need  not  be  very 
near,  as  Mount  Abarim  is  over  against  Jericho,  and 
yet  fifteen  miles  off.     (Deut.  xxxii.  49.) 

The  border  here  is  evidently  the  north  border  of 
Ephraim,  and  the  description  begins  at  the  middle 
and  runs  eastward.  The  difficulty  is  in  rendering 
Jiayyammah  ("  toward  the  sea").  We  should  ex- 
pect '•'•from  the  sea."  It  is  probable  that  a  clause 
has  dropped  out,  and  that  this  phrase,  "  and  the 
border  went  out  to  the  sea,"  belongs  to  the  south 
boundary  and  the  fifth  verse.  Then  there  may 
have  been  a  sentence,  "  ancZ  the  horder  passed  from 
the  sea  to  Michmethah  on  the  north  side."  Yet 
"yammah"  is  used  in  chap,  xviii.  15,  for  "on  the 
west,"  and  may  possibly  refer  here  to  the  beginning 
of  the  north  border  as  on  the  west  of  what  follows. 
Michmethah  may  be  at  the  south  end  of  the 
Mukhna,  where  some  place  the  brook  Mochmur  of 
Judith  vii.  18,  near  Akrabeh  (Ekrebel  of  Judith, 
1.  c.)  In  that  case,  Taanath-shiloh  would  be  on  the 
Makhfuriyeh  Wady,  receiving  its  name  perhaps 
from  its  nearness  to  Shiloh. 

Janohah  is  Yanun. 

Ver.  7.  Ataroth  (evidently  a  different  place 
from  the  Ataroth  of  ver.  2  and  ver.  5)  and  Naar- 
ath are  not  known. 

Came  to  Jericho.     Very  curiously  the  north  and 


166  COMMENTARY   ON 

8  The  border  went  out  from  Tappuah  westward  unto 
the  river  Kanah;  and  the  goings  out  thereof  were  at  the 
sea.  This  is  the  inheritance  of  the  tribe  of  the  children 
of  Ephraim  by  their  famihes. 

9  And  the  separate  cities  for  the  children  of  Ephraim 
icere  among  the  inheritance  of  the  children  of  Manasseh, 
all  the  cities  with  their  villages. 

10  And  they  drave  not  out  the  Canaanites  that  dwelt 
in  Gezer:  but  the  Canaanites  dwell  among  the  Ephraim- 
ites  unto  this  day,  and  serve  under  tribute. 

south  boundaries  of  Ephraim  met  at  Jericho. 
From  Jericho  to  the  Jordan  we  must  draw  sepa- 
rate lines  for  the  two,  or  else  why  should  the  Jor- 
dan be  mentioned  at  all  in  the  north  boundary  ? 
Perhaps  the  south  boundary  was  Wady  Nawaimeh, 
and  the  north  boundary  was  Wady  Diab,  the  Jeri- 
cho district  being  intended  by  "  Jericho." 

Ver.  8.  Tappuah  I  would  put  at  or  near  Hareth 
on  the  Wady  Kanah,  and  consider  this  wady  the 
river  Kanah,  becoming  the  Nahr  el-Anjeh  as  it 
approaches  the  sea. 

Ver.  9.  (Comp.  chap.  xvii.  11.)  There  may  have 
been  in  this  intermingling  of  tribal  territory  a  de- 
sign to  maintain  the  common  brotherhood. 

Ver.  10.  Gezer  was  a  border  town  (see  ver.  3), 
and,  if  the  present  Yasur,  was  on  the  south  bank  of 
the  wady  that  was  Ephraim's  south  border. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.  XVII.  167 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

1  There  was  also  a  lot  for  the  tribe  of  "Manasseh; 
for  he  luas  the  first-born  of  Joseph;  io  icit,  for  Machir 
the  first-born  of  Manasseh,  the  father  of  Gilead:  be- 
cause he  was  a  man  of  war,  therefore  he  had  Gilead 
and  Bashan. 

2  There  was  also  a  lot  for  the  rest  of  the  children  of 
Manasseh  by  their  families;  for  the  children  of  Abiezer, 
and  for  the  children  of  Helek,  and  for  the  children  of 
Asricl,  and  for  the  children  of  Shechem,  and  for  the 
children  of  Hepher,  and  for  the  children  of  Shemida: 
these  were  the  male  children  of  Manasseh  the  son  of 
Joseph  by  their  families. 

o  "^  But  Zelophehad,  the  son  of  Hepher,  the  son  of 
Gilead,  the  son  of  Machir,  the  son  of  Manasseh,  had 
no  sons,  but  daughters:  and  these  are  the  names  of  his 
daughters,  Mahlah,  and  Noah,  Hoglah,  jVlilcah,  and 
Tirzah. 

Yer.  1.  Manasseli's  lot  is  described  as  forming 
part  of  Joseph.  For  the  descendants  of  Machir, 
see  on  chap.  xiii.  31. 

Ver.  2.  According  to  Num.  xxvi.  29-32,  these 
six  families  of  Manasseh's  tribe  were  descended 
also  from  Machir.  They  were,  moreover,  all  de- 
scended from  Gilead,  i.e.,  all  "Gileadites"  (Num. 
xxvi.  29).  These  Gileadites  had  shown  remarkable 
valor  in  conquering  the  country  east  of  Jordan, 
and  hence  had  received  a  double  inheritance,  one 
portion  on  the  east  side,  in  addition  to  their  portion 
on  the  west. 

Ver.  3.  Zelophehad  seems  to  have  been  the  only 
representative    of  the  Hepherites,  or  children  of 


168  COIMMENTAEY   ON 

4  And  they  came  near  before  Eleazar  the  priest,  and 
before  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  and  before  the  princes, 
sayinj^,  The  Loud  commanded  Moses  to  give  us  an 
inheritance  among  our  brethren  :  therefore  according 
to  the  commandment  of  the  Lono  he  gave  them  an 
inheritance  among  the  brethren  of  their  father. 

5  And  there  fell  ten  portions  to  INIanasseh,  besides 
the  land  of  Gilead  and  Bashan,  ^Yhich  were  on  the  other 
side  Jordan ; 

6  Because  the  daughters  of  IManasseh  had  an  in- 
heritance among  his  sons:  and  the  rest  of  Manasseh's 
sons  had  the  land  of  Gilead. 

7  ^  And  the  coast  of  Manasseh  was  from  Asher  to 
Michmethah,  that  lielh  before  Shechem;  and  the  border 
went  along  on  the  right  hand  unto  the  inhabitants  of 
En-tappuah. 

8  A'ow  Manasseh  had  the  land  of  Tappuah:  but  Tap- 
puah  on  the  border  of  Manasseh  belonr/ed  to  the  children 
of  Ephraim: 


Heplier.  Hence  his  five  daughters  received  the 
Hepherite  portion  by  a  special  legislation.  (See 
Num.  xxvii.  1-11.) 

Ver.  4.  They  now  prefer  their  claim. 

Ver.  5.  Ten  portmis.  Six  as  above ;  to  wit, 
the  Abiezrites,  Helekites,  Asrielites,  Shechemites, 
Hepherites  (represented  by  Zelophehad's  daugh- 
ters), and  Shemidaites.  Besides  these,  there  must 
have  been  four  other  Manassite  families,  not  Gil- 
eadites,  perhaps  not  Machirites,  represented  on  the 
west  side. 

Yer.  7.  Aslier.  Not  the  tribe,  but  a  town.  I 
take  it  to  be  Ausarin,  on  the  Makhfuriyeh  Wady. 
For  Michmethah  and  En-tappuah  (Tappuah),  see 
on  chap.  xvi.  6,  8.     For  Sheche7n,  see  chap.  xx.  7. 

Ver.  8.  The  land  of  Tappuah  would  be  the  Je- 
bel  Salmon  or  Sleiman. 


JOSHUA,    CHAP.    XVH.  169 

9  And  the  coast  descended  unto  the  river  Kanah, 
southward  of  the  river.  These  cities  of  Ephraiin  are 
among  the  cities  of  iNIanassch:  the  coast  of  Manasseh 
also  was  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  and  the  out- 
goings^ of  it  were  at  the  sea: 

10  Southward  it  ivas  Ephraim's,  and  northward  it 
was  Manasseh's,  and  the  sea  is  his  border;  and  they 
met  together  in  Asher  on  the  north,  and  in  Issachar  on 
the  east. 

11  And  Manasseh  had  in  Issachar  and  in  Asher, 
Beth-shean  and  her  towns,  and  Ibleam  and  her  towns, 
and  the  inhabitants  of  Dor  and  her  towns,  and  the 
inhabitants  of  En-dor  and  her  towns,  and  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Taanach  and  her  towns,  and  the  inhabitants  of 
Megiddo  and  her  towns,  even  three  countries. 

Ver.  9.  There  must  be  an  error  in  this  text.  I 
would  read,  "And  the  coast  descended  unto  the 
river  Kanah.  Southward  of  the  river  these  cities 
are  of  Ephraim,  and  the  coast  of  Manasseh  was  on 
the  north  side  of  the  river."  Keil's  explanation 
only  makes  the  "i...:i;dle"  worse.  For  the  river 
Kanah,  see  on  chap.  xvi.  8. 

Ver.  10.  And  tliey  met  together  in  Asher. 
Rather,  ''-  And  they  (the  Manassites)  reached  to 
Asher."  They  reached  Asher  on  the  coast,  and 
they  reached  Issachar  on  the  great  plain. 

Issachar  on  the  east,  i.e.,  on  the  east  of  Asher. 

Ver.  11.  Beth-shean  is  Beisan.  Ibleam  is  sup- 
posed to  be  at  Jelamch.  Dor  is  Tantura.  En-dor 
bears  the  same  name  still  on  the  Duhy  Mountain. 
Taanach  is  Taanuk.     Mecjiddo  is  Lejjun. 

Three  countries.     Rather,  "the  three  heights," 

probably  the  name  given  to  the  Tell  Taanuk,  the 

Tell  Metsellim,  and  the  height  on  which  Megiddo 

stood.     Taanach  and  Megiddo  are  twin  towns,  and 

8 


170  co:m3ientaiiy  ox 

12  Yet  the  children  of  Manasseh  could  not  drive  out 
the  inhabiiants  o/" those  cities;  but  the  Cauaanites  would 
dwell  in  that  land. 

13  Yet  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  children  of  Israel 
were  waxen  strong,  that  they  put  the  Canaanites  to 
tribute ;  but  did  not  utterly  drive  them  out. 

11  And  the  children  of  Joseph  spake  unto  Joshua, 
saying,  Why  hast  thou  given  me  hut  one  lot  and  one 
portion  to  inherit,  seeing  I  am  a  great  people,  forasmuch 
as  the  LoitD  hath  blessed  me  hitherto  V 

15  And  Joshua  answered  them,  It  thou  he  a  great 
people,  then  get  thee  up  to  the  wootl-country,  and  cut 
down  for  thyself  there  in  the  land  of  the  Perizzites 
and  of  the  giants,  if  mount  Ephraim  be  too  narrow  for 
thee. 

Megidcio  occupied  probably  the  two  lieights  indi- 
cated. 

Ver.  12.  The  fact  that  these  towns  were  within 
the  borders  of  another  tribe  probably  caused  this 
apathy.     See  the  case  of  Gezer  in  chap.  xvi.  10. 

Ver.  13.  The  old  "cherem  "  order  of  God  was 
forgotten  and  neglected  as  time  passed  on. 

Ver.  14.  They  call  it  one  lot  and  one  portion, 
because  the  portion  had  probably  been  drawn  by 
one  lot  out  of  the  urn.  But  it  was  ample  for  the 
two  tribes,  or  rather  the  one  tribe  and  a  half,  for 
they  were  less  numerous  than  other  single  tribes. 
They  forget,  too,  that  a  part  of  their  brethren  had 
inherited  the  largest  section  of  all  beyond  the  Jor- 
dan. The  Ephraimites  Avere  probably  the  princi- 
pal complainers.  Compare  their  conduct  at  other 
times  (Judg.  viii.  1,  and  xii.  1). 

Ver.  15.  Joshua  gives  them  permission  to  go  to 
the  highlands  of  the  Perizzites  and  giants  (Reph- 
aim)  and  settle.     Those  highlands  aie  probabl}"  the 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  xvn.  171 

16  And  the  childre-n  of  Joseph  said,  The  hill  is  not 
enough  ior  us:  and  all  the  Canaanites  that  dwell  in  the 
land  of  the  valley  have  chariots  of  iron,  both  they  who 
are  of  Btth-shean  and  her  towns,  and  they  who  are  of 
the  valley  of  Jezreel. 

17  And  Joshua  s])ake  unto  the  house  of  Joseph,  even 
to  Ephraim  and  to  Manasseh,  saying,  Thou  art  a  great 
people,  and  hast  great  power:  thou  shalt  not  have  one 
lot  only: 

18  But  the  mountain  shall  be  thine;  for  it  h  a  wood, 
and  thou  shalt  cut  it  down:  and  the  out-goings  of  it 
shall  be  thine:  for  thou  shalt  drive  out  the  Canaanites, 
though  they  have  iron  chariots,  and  though  they  he 
strong, 

mountains  of  Gilboa,  lying  between  Beth-shean 
and  Jezreel.  A  remnant  of  the  Perizzites  and 
Rephaim  had  strengthened  themselves  there. 

Mount  JEpliraim  is  the  mountain-land  north  of 
Judah  and  extending  to  the  great  plain,  and  lying 
between  the  coast-plain  and  the  Jordan  Ghor.  It 
is  now  so  called,  as  Ephraim  had  just  received  a 
part  of  it  as  an  inheritance.  There  is  some  irony 
in  Joshua's  words,  and  he  may  call  the  region 
Mount  Ephraim,  because  Ephraim  was  the  chief 
com  plainer. 

Ver.  1(3.  The  hill.  Rather,  "the  mountain." 
That  is,  the  Gilboa  mountain  just  offered  them. 
That  Avould  not  be  enough,  and  they  could  not 
descend  and  occupy  any  of  the  Beth-shean  plain 
east  of  Gilboa,  or  of  the  Jezreel  plain  west  of 
Gilboa,  because  of  the  formidable  chariots  of  the 
Canaanites  still  holding  those  parts. 

Ver.  17,  18.  Joshua  continues  his  irony.  They 
were  so  strong  and  brave  a  people,  that  they  should 
have  another  lot,  the  Gilboa  country  and  its  adjoin- 


172  COMMENTARY  ON  | 


ing  parts  (outgoings),  and  should  overcome  the 
fier(^e  enemies.  We  have  no  proof  that  Ephraim 
and  half  Manasseh  ever  used  this  permission.  The 
love  of  ease  and  fear  of  their  foes  combined  to 
deter  them  from  ridding  the  land  of  the  Canaan- 
ites. 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  xvni.  173 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

When  the  two  great  tribes  of  Judah  and  Joseph 
had  been  located,  the  one  taking  the  south  and  the 
other  the  middle  portion  of  the  country,  there 
seems  to  have  been  a  pause  in  the  work  of  distri- 
bution. We  have  no  direct  statement  of  the 
reason,  but,  from  Joshua's  words  in  the  third  verse 
of  this  chapter,  we  see  that  the  people  generally 
were  somewhat  to  blame.  Yet  there  may  have 
been  a  good  reason  for  the  postponement,  such  as 
the  breaking  out  of  some  formidable  insurrection 
among  the  enslaved  Canaanites  (see  chap.  xvii. 
13),  or  the  need  of  further  surveying  of  the  land 
itself  in  order  to  know  more  exactly  the  landmarks 
(see  chap,  xviii.  4).  The  people  were  perhaps  to 
blame  only  for  showing  no  zeal  and  readiness  to 
resume  and  complete  the  work  at  the  proper  time. 
We  are  not  told  how  long  the  interval  was  between 
the  dividing  of  the  land  to  the  two  tribes  at  Gilgal 
and  the  dividing  of  the  land  to  the  seven  tribes  at 
Shiloh.  We  cannot  believe  that  Joshua  would 
have  permitted  it  to  be  long,  however  the  people 
in  their  nomadic  habits  may  have  been  listless  in 
the  matter. 


174  COMMENTARY   ON 

1  And  the  whole  congregation  of  the  children  of 
Israel  assembled  together  at  Shiloh,  and  set  up  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation  there:  and  the  land  was 
subdued  before  them. 

2  And  there  remained  among  the  children  of  Israel 
seven  tribes,  which  had  not  yet  received  their  inheri- 
tance. 


Yer.  1.  Shiloh,  now  Seilun,  twelve  miles  south  of 
Shecbem  and  two  miles  east  of  the  main  north  and 
south  road.  This  retired  spot  was,  nevertheless, 
the  very  centre  of  the  land.  Its  name  ("rest") 
is  indicative  of  Grod's  fulfilled  promise  to  his  cov- 
enant people  in  settling  them  in  their  new  land, 
and  giving  them  rest  from  wandering  and  from 
enemies.  The  place  was  thus  typical  of  the  rest 
of  the  soul  in  Jesus,  who  is  also  designated  as 
Shiloh  in  Gen.  xlix.    10. 

The  tabernacle  of  the  congregation.  The  latter 
word  is  not  the  same  as  that  in  the  first  part  of  the 
verse.  This  "  ohel  moed  "  may  be  rendered  "  tent 
of  meeting,"  where  the  meeting  is  that  of  God 
and  men,  rather  than  of  men  together. 

The  land  was  subdued  before  them.  This  con- 
firms our  first  supposition  at  the  beginning  of  the 
notes  on  this  chapter,  that  there  had  been  some 
formidable  insurrection  of  the  Canaanites  that 
broke  off  the  division  at  Gilgal.  When  that  was 
subdued,  then  the  work  could  go  on  ;  and,  moreover, 
now  there  was  so  complete  a  tranquillity  that  the 
tabernacle  could  be  safely  reared  in  its  place. 
Shiloh  continued  to  be  the  site  of  the  tabernacle 
for  three  centuries,  till  Samuel's  day.     In  Saul's 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  xvni.  175 

3  And  Joshua  said  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  How 
long  are  ye  slack  to  go  to  possess  the  land  which  the 
Loud  God  of  your  fathers  hath  given  you? 

4  Give  oat  from  among  you  three  men  for  each 
tribe:  and  I  will  send  them,  and  they  shall  rise,  and 
go  through  the  land,  and  describe  it  according  to  the 
inheritance  of  them,  and  they  shall  come  afjain  to  me. 

5  And  they  shall  divide  it  into  seven  parts:  Judah 
shall  abide  in  their  coast  on  the  south,  and  the  house 
of  Joseph  shall  abide  in  their  coasts  on  the  north. 

6  Ye  shall  therefore  describe  the  land  into  seven 
parts,  and  bring  the  description  hither  to  me,  that  I  may 
cast  lots  for  you  here  before  the  Lord  our  God. 


time  the  tabernacle  was  at  Nob,  and  in  Solomon's 
day  (before  the  temple  was  built)  at  Gibeon. 

Ver.  3.  Slack,  See  prefatory  note  on  this 
chapter. 

Ver.  4.  A  more  thorough  survey  of  the  land 
was  needed  for  the  exact  division  called  for.  Three 
men  for  each  tribe,  excluding,  of  course,  Reuben  and 
Gad,  but  probably  including  Judah,  Ephraim,  and 
Manasseh,  as  they  were  interested  in  the  division 
of  the  boundaries  which  actually  occurred.  The 
number  of  surveyors  would  thus  be  thirty. 

Ver.  5.  This  seems  to  be  a  general  statement 
regarding  the  two  great  tribes.  They  should  oc- 
cupy the  relative  positions  given  them,  but  Judah 
was  to  have  Simeon  and  Dan  admitted  into  its 
inheritance. 

Ver.  6.  Describe  the  land,  probably  by  enumera- 
ating  the  towns  and  marking  the  prominent  land- 
marks. (See  ver.  9.)  The  seven  portions  having 
been  described,  these  lots  were  to  be  cast,  to  deter- 
mine which  tribe  should  receive  any  given  portion. 


176  COMMENTARY   ON 

7  But  the  Levites  have  no  part  among  you;  for  the 
priesthood  of  the  Lord  is  their  inheritance:  and  Gad, 
and  Reuben,  and  half  the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  have  re- 
ceived their  inheritance  beyond  Jordan  on  the  east, 
which  Moses  the  servant  of  the  Loud  gave  them. 

8  ^  And  the  men  arose,  and  went  away:  and  Joshua 
charged  tliem  tliat  went  to  describe  the  land,  saying, 
Go,  and  walk  through  the  land,  and  describe  it,  and 
come  again  to  me,  that  I  may  here  cast  lots  for  you 
before  the  Lord  in  Shiloh. 

9  And  the  men  went  and  passed  through  the  land, 
and  described  it  by  cities  into  seven  parts  in  a  book, 
and  came  arjain  to  Joshua  to  the  host  at  Shiloh, 

10  ^  And  Joshua  cast  lots  for  them  in  Shiloh  before 
the  Lord:  and  there  Joshua  divided  the  land  unto  the 
children  of  Israel  according  to  their  divisions. 

11  ^  And  the  lot  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of 
Benjamin  came  up  according  to  their  families:  and  the 
coast  of  their  lot  came  forth  between  the  children  of 
Judah  and  the  children  of  Joseph. 

12  And  their  border  on  the  north  side  was  from 
Jordan;  and  the  border  went  up  to  the  side  of  Jericho, 
on  the  north  side,  and  went  up  through  the  mountains 
westward;  and  the  gohigs  out  thereof  were  at  the  wil- 
derness of  Beth-aven. 

13  And  the  border  went  over  from  thence  toward 
Luz,  to  the  side  of  Luz  (which  is  Beth-el)  southward; 
and  the  border  descended  to  Ataroth-adar,  near  the 
hill  that  lieth  on  the  south  side  of  the  nether  Beth- 
horon. 

These  lots  were  to  be  cast  as  a  religious  act,  with 
all  the  solemnity  of  the  high-priest's  official  pres- 
ence.    (Comp.  chap.  xiv.  1.) 

The  Lot  of  Be   '     In. 

Veb.  11.  Benjamin  occupied  the  region  left 
between  Judah's  northern  boundary  and  Ephraim's 
southern  boundary. 

Ver.  12,  13.  This  border  is  exactly  the  same 
with  the  southern  border  of  Joseph,  as  given  in 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XVIII.  177 

14  And  the  border  was  drawn  thence^  and  compassed 
the  corner  of  the  sea  southward,  from  the  hill  that 
Ueth  before  Beth-horon  southward;  and  the  goings  out 
thereof  were  at  Kirjath-baal  (which  is  Kirjath-jearim) 
a  city  of  the  children  of  Judah.  This  luas  the  west 
quarter. 

15  And  the  south  quarter  was  from  the  end  of  Kir- 
jath-jearim, and  the  border  went  out  on- the  west,  and 
went  out  to  the  well  of  waters  of  Nephtoah: 

chap.  xvi.  1-3  (which  see).  Read  the  first  part 
of  the  thirteenth  verse  thus :  "  And  the  border 
went  over  thence  (z.e.,  from  Beth-aven)  to  Luz  on 
the  side  of  Luz  (which  is  Bethel)  southward." 
The  two  towns  called  Luz  are  thus  distinguished. 
(See  on  chap.  xvi.  2.) 

Ver.  14.  A  very  erroneous  idea  may  be  gath- 
ered from  our  version.  Benjamin's  lot  did  not 
reach  the  sea,  but  here  it  is  said  to  "  compass  the 
corner  of  the  sea."  The  Hebrew  for  ''sea"  is 
used  for  "  west,"  and  the  right  rendering  here  is, 
"turned  on  the  west  side  southward."  That  is, 
Benjamin's  Avest  boundary  left  the  south  boundary 
of  Ephraim  near  the  hill  or  mountain  in  front  of 
Beth-horon  southwards,  and  struck  south  to  Kir- 
jath-jearim (for  Kirjath-jearim,  see  on  chap.  ix.  3), 
a  distance  of  six  miles.  This  west  line  would  run 
very  near  to  Chephirah. 

Ver.  15.  From  the  end  of  Kirjath-jearim.  Be- 
cause Kirjath-jearim  'tself  was  in  Judah. 

On  the  west,  i.e.,  on  the  west  of  the  south  line.    So 

"the  border  went  out  on  the  west"  is  equivalent 

to  "  the  border  w^ent  out  or  started  from  the  west." 

It  is   curious  to  see    how   this   "yammah"   and 

8*  L 


178  COMMEXTARY   ON 

16  And  the  border  came  down  to  the  end  of  the 
mountain  that  Ueth  before  the  valley  of  the  son  of 
Hinnom,  ami  which  U  in  the  valley  of  the  giants  on 
the  north,  and  descended  to  the  valley  of  Hinnom.  to 
the  side  of  Jebusi  on  the  south,  and  descended  to  En- 
rogel, 

17  And  was  drawn  from  the  north,  and  went  forth 
to  En-shemesh.  and  went  forth  toward  Geliloth,  which 
is  over  aLi;ainst  the  going  up  of  Adummim.  and  de- 
scended to  the  stone  of  Bohan  the  son  of  Reuben, 

18  And  passed  along  toward  the  side  over  against 
Arabah  northward,  and  went  down  unto  Arabah: 

19  And  the  border  passed  along  to  the  side  of  Beth- 
hoglah  northward:  and  the  out-goings  of  the  border 
were  at  the  north  bay  of  the  salt  sea  at  the  south  end 
of  Jordan.     This  was  the  south  coast. 

20  And  Jordan  was  the  border  of  it  on  the  east  side. 
This  was  the  inheritance  of  the  children  of  Benjamin, 
by  the  coasts  thereof  round  about,  according  to  their 
families. 

21  Now  the  cities  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of 
Benjamin  according  to  their  families,  were  Jericho, 
and  Beth-hoglah,  and  the  valley  of  Keziz. 

"  miyyam,"  the  two  opposite s  ("  seawards  "  and 
"  from  the  sea  "),  come  to  mean  virtually  the  same 
thing.  "  Yammah  "  means  literally  "  seawards  "  or 
"  westwards,"  and  "  miyyam,"  "  from  the  west," 
but  each  is  used  for  "  on  the  west." 

Yer.  15-19.  This  south  border  of  Benjamin  is 
the  north  border  of  Judah,  as  given  (in  the  other 
direction)  in  chap.  xv.  5-9. 

Yer.  20.  The  Jordan  formed  Benjamin's  eastern 
boundary,  probably  from  Wady  Nawaimeh  to  its 
mouth. 

Yer.  21.  Jericho.     (See  on  chap.  ii.  2.) 

Beth-hoglah.     (See  on  chap.  xv.  6.) 

The  valley  of  Keziz.,  or  rather  '^  Emek '  Keziz." 
This  place  was  probably  in  the  Ghor. 


JOSHUA,    CHAP,   XVIII.  179 

22  And  Beth-arabah,  and  Zemaraim,  and  Beth-el, 

23  And  Avini,  and  Parah,  and  Ophrah, 

24  And  Chephar-haamnionai,  and  Ophni,  and  Gaba; 
twelve  cities  with  their  villages: 

25  Gibeon,  and  Ramah,  and  Beeroth. 

2o  And  Mizpeh,  and  Chephirah,  and  oNIozah, 
27  And  Rekeni,  and  Irpeel,  and  Taralah, 

Ver.  22.  Beth-arahah.     (See  on  chap.  xv.  6.) 

Zemaraim^  perhaps  near  Mount  Zemaraim  of 
2  Chron.  xiii.  4.  If  so,  then  we  must  look  for  it 
near  Bethel.  The  name  is,  probably,  a  relic  oi 
the  old  Zemarites  (Gen.  x.  18). 

Bethel,     (See  chap.  vii.  2.) 

Ver.  23.  Avim,'    Another  form  of  "  Ai." 

Parah.     Now  Farah,  on  Wady  Farah. 

Ophrah  is  probably  the  same  as  Ephraim  of 
2  Chron.  xiii.  19,  and  Ephraim  of  John  xi.  54. 
Robinson  suggests  Taiyibeh  as  its  site,  but  Taiyibeh 
seems  to  be  north  of  Benjamin's  lot. 

Vj:r.  24.  Chephai'-haammonai  and  Ophni  nve  not 
identified. 

Gaha  (or  Geba)  is  Jeba,  on  a  height  on  the 
south  of  Wady  es-Suweinit. 

Ver.  25.     Giheon.     (See  chap.  ix.  3.) 

Ramah  is  er-Ram,  near  Geba. 

Beeroth.     (See  chap.  ix.  3.) 

Ver.  26.  llizpeh  is  now  (probably)  Neby  Sam- 
wil,  the  commanding  pinnacle  five  miles  north-west 
of  Jerusalem. 

Chephirah.     (See  on  chap.  ix.  3.) 

3Iozah  is  not  identified. 

Ver.  27.  Rekem,  Irpeel^  and  Taralah  are  un- 
known. 


180  COI\OIEXTAIIY  ON 

\ 

28  And  Zelah,  Eleph,  and  Jebusi,   (which  is  Jeru-  ' 

salem)  Gibeath,  and  Kirjuth;  fourteen  cities  with  their  .. 

TiUay:es.     This  is  the  inheritance   of  the  children  of  1 

Benjamin  according  to  their  families.  I 

Ver.  28.  Zelah  and  Eleph  are  unknown.  ' 

Gibeath^   same  as  "  Gibeah  of  Saul"   (1  Sam.  j 
xi.  4),  or  "  Gibeah  of  Benjamin  "  ( Juclg.  xx.  10), 

is  probably  Tuleil  el-Ful,  a  conical  hill  three  miles  ■ 

north  of  Jerusalem.  i 
Kirjath  is   perhaps    Khirbet   el-Kuta,   close   to      '    ; 

Gibeah.  : 


JOSH'UA,   CHAP.   XIX.  181 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

1  And  the  second  lot  came  forth  to  Simeon,  even 
for  the  tribe  of  the  cliildren  of  Simeon  according  to 
their  families:  and  their  inheritance  was  within  the 
inheritance  of  the  children  of  Jadah. 

The  Lot  of  Simeon. 

Ver.  1.  To  Simeon,  for  the  tribe  of  the  children 
of  Simeon,  This  repetition  of  the  tribal  name  is 
found  with  Gad  (chap.  xiii.  24),  with  Issachar 
(ver.  17),  and  with  Naphtali  (ver.  32).  In  the 
last  there  is  a  repetition  of  the  word  ''  children" 
also. 

The  full  formula,  "  tribe  of  the  children  of 

by  their  families,"  is  not  always  given  in  this 
enumeration  of  the  distributions.  "  Tribe "  is 
omitted,  of  course,  with  Joseph,  because  he  was 
really  two  tribes.  Besides  this,  "  tribe  "  is  omitted 
withEphraim  (chap.  xvi.  5),  with  Benjamin  (chap, 
xviii.  28),  with  Zebulun  (chap.  xix.  10,  16),  with 
Issachar  (chap.  xix.  17),  with  Naphtali  (chap.  xix. 
82),  with  Reuben  (chap.  xiii.  23),  with  Gad 
(chap.  xiii.  28).  Yet  with  all  these,  "  tribe  "  is  used 
elsewhere  in  the  enumeration,  with  the  exception 
of  Zebulim  only.  There  can  be  no  reason  assigned 
for  these  slight  differences,  and  we  only  notice  them 
here  to  disprove  the  idea  (held  by  the  Masorites) 


182  COMMENTARY   ON 

2  And  they  had  in  their  inheritance,  Beer-sheha,  or 
Sheba,  and  Moladah, 

3  And  llazar-shual,  and  Balah,  and  Azcra, 

4  And  Eltolad,  and  Bethul,  and  llormah, 

5  And  Ziklag,  and  Beth-marcaboth,  and  Hazar- 
susah, 

6  And  Beth-lebaoth,  and  Sharuhen;  thirteen  cities 
and  their  villages: 

7  Ain,  Renimon,  and  Ether,  and  Ashan;  four  cities 
and  their  villages: 

8  And  all  the  villages  that  ivere  round  about  these 
cities  to  Baalath-beer,  Ramath  of  the  south.  This  in 
the  inheritance  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Simeon 
according  to  their  families. 

tliat  every  word,  as  such,  had  its  important  mean- 
ing in  the  record,  and  that  the  omission  of  any 
word  from  a  formula  was  significant. 

Within  the  inheritance  of  the  children  of  Judah. 
This  was  probably  not  an  after-thought,  but,  when 
Judah  received  its  limits  at  the  Gilgal  allotment, 
it  was  doubtless  expected  that  while  its  borders 
would  not  be  modified,  yet,  as  occasion  might  de- 
mand, districts  within  its  borders  would  be  given 
to  other  tribes. 

Vek.  2.  Beer-sheha,  or  Sheha.  Rather,  "  Beer- 
sheba  and  Sheba."  Sheba  is  a  different  place, 
called  Shema  in  chap.  xv.  26.  All  these  towns 
have  occurred  in  the  list  of  Judah's  towns  in 
chap.  XV. 

Ver.  6.  TJiirteen  cities.  There  are  fourteen  in 
the  list,  but  Beer-sheba  and  Sheba  may  have  been 
twin  cities  closely  united,  and  thus  counted  as  one, 
or  there  may  be  here  an  error  in  the  transcription. 
(See  on  chap.  xv.  32.) 

Ver.  8.   These  cities,  i.e.,  Ain,  Remmon,  Ether, 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  xrx.  183 

9  Out  of  the  portion  of  the  children  of  Judah  wan 
the  inheritance  of  the  children  of  Simeon  :  for  tho 
j)tirt  of  the  children  of  Judah  was  too  much  for  them: 
therefore  the  children  of  Simeon  had  their  inheritance 
within  the  inheritance  of  them. 

10  ^[  And  the  third  lot  came  up  for  the  children  of 
Zebulun  according  to  their  families:  and  the  border 
of  their  inheritance  was  unto  Sarid: 

11  And  their  border  went  up  toward  the  sea,  and 
Maralah,  and  reached  to  Dabbasheth,  and  reached  to 
the  river  that  is  before  Jokneam, 

and  Ashan.  These  cities  with  their  surroundings 
were  given  to  Simeon,  but  the  diameter  of  the 
circle  did  not  reach  to  Baahxth-beer  (or  Ramath- 
negeb,  '' Ramah  of  the  south").  This  Baahith- 
beer  may  be  either  the  Bealoth  or  the  Baalah  ol 
the  hst  in  chap.  xv.  Van  de  Velde  puts  it  at  Tell- 
Lekiyeh,  north  of  Beersheba. 

Ver.  9.  Oat  of  the  portion  of  the  children  of 
Judah.  Simeon's  eighteen  cities  lay  scattered 
through  the  Negeb  and  Shephelah.  They  did  not 
form  a  solid  commonwealth.  This  was  in  accord- 
ance with  Jacob's  prophecy  (Gen.  xlix.  7). 

The  Lot  of  Zebulun. 

Yer.  10.  Sarid  is,  I  take  it,  the  south-west  corner 
of  the  boundary  of  Zebulun.  It  is  not  identified. 
I  consider  ver.  11  as  giving  the  west  boundary,  ver. 
12,  the  south  boundary,  ver.  13,  the  east  boundary, 
and  ver.  14,  the  north  boundary.  Sarid  is  probably 
mentioned  so  conspicuously  as  being  the  nearest 
point  of  Zebulun  to  the  tribes  already  located. 

Ver.  11.  After  mentioning  Sarid,  the  west 
boundary   is   given  from    north    to    south   till  it 


184  COMME^^TABY  ON 

12  And  turned  from  Sarid  eastward,  toward  the  sim- 
rising,  unto  the  border  of  Chisloth-tabor,  and  then 
goetii  out  to  Daberath,  and  goeth  up  to  Japhia, 

13  And  from  thence  passeth  on  along  on  the  east  to 
Gittah-hepher,  to  Ittah-kazm,  and  goeth  out  to  Rem- 
mon-methoar  to  Neah; 

reaches  Sarid ;  tluis,  Maralah,  Dabbasheth,  and 
Wady  Jokneam,  then  comes  Sarid,  from  which  in 
"ver.  12  the  south  boundary  is  drawn. 

Toward  the  sea.  Rather,  "on  the  west,"  like 
*'on  the  east  "  in  ver.  13. 

If  the  valley  of  Jiphthah-el  is  the  second  wady 
north  of  Wady  Abilin  (which  seems  probable), 
then  I  would  place  3Iaralah  at  Shefa  Omar,  on  the 
ridge  above  the  sea  plain,  and  the  phrase,  "  went 
up,"  would  refer  to  the  ascent  to  Shefa  Omar  from 
the  wady  north  of  Abilin. 

Dabbasheth  may  be  el-Harbaji  on  the  TVady  el- 
Malek,  near  its  junction  with  the  Nahr  el-Mu- 
kutta,  and  Wad^  Jokneam  is  the  Nahr  el-Mukutta 
itself.  s 

Ver.  12.  Sarid  would  thus  be  somewhere  near 
Tell  el-Thureh. 

Chisloth-tabor  is  undoubtedly  Iksal,  near  IMount 
Tabor. 

Daberath  is  Deburieh.  The  boundar}^  went 
north  of  this  place,  as  Daberath  was  in  Issachar 
(chap.  xxi.  28). 

Japhia  we  must  look  for  near  Khan  et-Tujjar. 

Ver.  13.  This  verse  should  read,  "  And  thence 
passeth,  on  the  east,  eastward  of  Gath-hepher  to 
Ittah-kazin."      The    eastern    boundary   went    up 


.  JOSHUA,   CHAP.    XIX.  185 

14  And  the  border  compas.setli  it  on  the  noith  side 
to  Hannathon:  and  the  out-goings  thereof  are  in  tho 
valley  of  Jiphthah-el: 

15  And  Kattath,  and  Nahallal,  and  Shimron,  and 
Idalah,  and  Beth-lehem;  twelve  cities  with  their  vil- 
lages. 

northward  from  Japhia,  to  the  eastward  of  Gath- 
hepher  (or  Gittah-hepher),  to  Ittah-kezin  and 
Rimmon. 

GittaJt-hepJwr  is  el-Meshhad. 

Ittah-kazin  may  be  Kefr  Kenna. 

Memmofi-methoar,  or  Rimmon-liammethoar,  is 
Rummaneh.  "  Methoar "  is  not  a  part  of  the 
name,  but  is  a  participle  meaning  "marked  off," 
and  the  phrase  should  read,  "  Rimmon  which  is 
marked  off  (or  '  which  belongs  ')  to  Neah." 

JVeah  is  unknown. 

Ver.  14.  Compasseth  it,  i.e.,  the  inheritance 
(ver.  10). 

Hannatlion  would  probably  be  Kana  el-Jelil. 

TJie  valley  of  Jiphthali-el  is  the  valley  going  down 
from  Jefat  (Jotapata  of  Josephus)  into  the  Wady 
Sha'ab. 

Ver.  15.  Keil  conjectures  from  sound  reasoning 
that  there  is  a  gap  here  between  ver.  14  and  ver. 
15,  in  which  seven  other  cities  would  be  mentioned 
to  make  the  twelve. 

Kattath  is  unknown. 

NaJutllal  is  supposed  to  be  Malul. 

Shimron  is  supposed  to  be  Semmunieh. 

Idalah  is  supposed  to  be  Jeida. 

Beth-lehem  is  now  Beit-lahm. 


186  COMMENTARY  ON 

16  This  is  the  inheritance  of  the  children  of  Zebuhiu 
according  to  their  families,  these  cities  wUh.  their  vil- 
lages. 

17  If  Aiul  the  fourth  lot  came  out  to  Issachar,  for 
the  children  of  Issachar  according  to  their  families. 

18  And  their  border  was  toward  Jezreel,  and  Chesul- 
loth,  and  Shunem, 

19  And  Hapharaim,  and  Shihon,  and  Anaharath, 

20  And  llabbith,  and  Kishion,  and  Abez, 

Ver.  16.  The  territory  of  Zebulun  thus  described 
is  a  rude  square,  fifteen  miles  on  each  side.  The 
Wadj  el-Melik  and  its  feeder  the  Wady  el-Bed- 
awi  (or  KhuUadiyeh)  divides  this  territory  almost 
equally  into  a  northern  and  a  southern  section.  In 
the  southern  section  is  Nazareth,  and  in  the  north- 
ern is  Cana  of  Galilee.  The  region  is  peculiarly 
sacred  (Matt.  iv.  15). 

The  Lot  of  Issachar. 

Yek.  18.  TTieir  border  was  toward  Jezreel,  or, 
*'  their  border  was  to  Jezreel,"  i.e.,  included  Jez- 
reel. 

Jezreel  is  now  Zerin. 

ChesuUoth  is  the  same,  probably,  as  Chisloth- 
tabor  of  ver.  12. 

Shunem  is  Sulem. 

Ver.  19.  Hapharaim  is,  perhaps,  Afuleh. 

Shihon  is  unknown. 

Anaharath  is,  perhaps,  en-Na'urah. 

Ver.  20.  IlahUth  is  unknown. 

Kishion  (or  Kishon)  was  probably  on  the  river 
Kishon,  the  el-Mukutta. 

Abez  is  unknown. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XIX.  187 

21  And  Remcth,  and  En-gannim,  and  En-haddah, 
and  Bcth-pazzez ; 

22  And  the  coast  reacheth  to  Tabor,  and  Sliahazi- 
mah,  and  Beth-shemesh;  and  the  out-goings  of  their 
border  ^Yore  at  Jordan:  sixteen  cities  with  their  vil- 
lages. 

23  This  is  the  inheritance  of  the  tribe  of  the  children 
of  Issachar  according  to  their  families,  the  cities  and 
their  villages. 

24  ^  And  the  fifth  lot  came  out  for  the  tribe  of  the 
children  of  Asher  according  to  their  families. 

25  And  their  border  was  Helkath,  and  Hali,  and 
Beten,  and  Achshaph, 

Ver.  21.  Remeth  is  unknown. 
_  En-gannim  is,  perhaps,  Jenin. 

En-haddali  is,  probably,  Beit-Kad,  west  of  Gil- 
boa. 

Ver.  22.  Tahor  (mountain  and  town)  was  on  the 
boundary  of  Zebulun  and  Issachar. 

Shahazimah  is  unknown. 

Beth-shemesh  is  supposed  to  be  Bessum. 

Ver.  23.  Issachar's  portion  was  the  great  plain 
south  of  a  line  of  latitude  running  through  Tabor, 
extending  to  the  Jordan  behind  both  Tabor  and 
Gilboa.  It  was  a  larger  portion  than  Zebulon's, 
and  remarkable  for  its  fertility. 

The  Lot  of  AsTier. 

Ver.  25.  Asher's  boundary  is  described  from 
the  neighborhood  of  Achzib  (ez-Zib)  southward, 
then  the  south  boundary,  then  the  east,  and  finally 
the  sea  boundary  to  Achzib,  and  then  some  interior 
towns  added.  It  was  a  strip  of  coast  sixty  miles 
long,  and  perhaps  in  no  place  extending  over  eight 
or  ten  miles  from  the  sea. 


188  COMMENTARY  ON 

26  And  Alammelech,  and  Amad,  and  Misheal;  and 
reacheth  to  Carmel  westward,  and  to  Shihor-libnath; 

27  And  turneth  toward  the  sun-rising  to  Beth-dagon, 
and  reacheth  to  Zebulun,  and  to  tJie  valley  of  Jiph- 
thah-el  toward  the  north  side  of  Beth-emek/and  Neiel, 
and  goeth  out  to  Cabul  on  the  left  hand, 

28  And  Hebron,  and  Rehob,  and  Hammon,  and 
Kanah,  even  unto  great  Zidon ; 

Helkath^  Hali^  Beten^  AchsJiaph,  are  supposed  to 
be  towns  near  Akka,  but  it  may  be  that  they  are 
towns  in  the  Dor  district  south-west  of  Carmel. 
If  so,  the  ruins  of  Hani,  east  of  Tantura,  may  be 
Hali,  and  Iksim  may  be  Achshaph. 

Ver.  26.  Alammelech  is  supposed  to  be  con 
nected  wdth  the  present  Wady  Melik. 

Amad  is  supposed  to  be  Haifa. 

3fisheal  is  Misalli.  Eead,  "  and  reacheth  to 
Carmel  on  the  west  (or  sea)  side."  That  is,  Car- 
mel is  part  of  its  west  frontier. 

ShiJior-libiiatJi  is  supposed  to  be  the  Belus  (Nahr 
Na'man),  which  enters  the  sea  by  Akka. 

Ver.  27.  Beth-dagon  must  be  looked  for  in  the 
plain  of  Akka. 

Reacheth  to  Zebulun.  Asher's  portion  probably 
touched  Zebulun's  from  the  neiG:hborhood  of  Tell 
el-Kaimon  (Jokneam)  up  to  the  wady  running 
from  Jefat  (Jiphthah-el). 

Beth-emek  and  JVeiel  are  unknown. 

Cabul  still  bears  the  same  name. 

Ver.  28.  Hebron  (differently  spelled  in  Hebrew 
from  the  Hebron  of  Judah)  is  probably  the  same 
as  Abdon  in  chap.  xxi.  30,  and  may  be  sited  at 
Abdeh  on  the  Wady  el-Kurn. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.  XIX.  189 

29  And  tJien  the  coast  tiirneth  to  Raraah,  and  to  the 
strong  city  Tyre;  and  the  coast  turneth  to  Ilosah:  and 
the  out-goings  thereof  are  at  the  sea  from  the  coast  to 
Achzib: 

30  Ummah  also,  and  Aphek,  and  Rehob:  twenty 
and  two  cities  with  their  villages. 

Helioh  is  unknown. 

Sammon  is  probably  Hamul. 

Kanali  is  Kana,  eight  miles  south-east  of  Tyre. 

Unto  great  Zidon.  Perhaps  only  to  its  territory, 
that  is,  to  the  river  Leontes,  which  would  be  Ash- 
er's  north  boundary. 

Vee.  29.  Ramah  bears  the  same  name,  near 
Tyre. 

Tyre,     (See  on  chap.  xi.  8.) 

Hosah  is  unknown.  Read,  "and  its  outgoings 
are  on  the  west  at  the  region  of  Achzib."  That  is, 
Achzib  forms  part  of  its  west  frontier. 

Achzib  is  now  ez-Zib,  just  south  of  the  ladder  of 
Tyre. 

Ver.  30.    Ummah  and  Rehoh  are  unknown. 

Aphek  is  generally  supposed  to  be  Afka,  east  of 
Jebeil,  but  it  seems  very  doubful  to  me  whether 
the  fifty  miles  of  territory  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Leontes  to  Jebeil  was  ever  intended  to  be  divided 
among  the  Israelites.  (See  note  on  chap.  xiii. 
4,  5.)  I  should  rather  expect  to  fmd  Ummah, 
Rehob,  and  Aphek  between  Achzib  and  Akka. 
The  supposed  identification  of  Afka  with  Asher's 
Aphek  by  Robinson  and  others  is  the  chief  argu- 
ment for  extending  Asher  so  very  far  to  the  north. 
But  Aphek  was  a  common  name.     There  are  cer- 


190  COMMENTABY  ON 

31  This  is  the  inheritance  of  the  tribe  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Asher  according  to  their  families,  these  cities 
■with  their  villages. 

o2  ^  The  sixth  lot  came  out  to  the  children  of  Naph- 
tali,  even  for  the  children  of  Naphtali  according  to  their 
families. 

33  And  their  coast  was  from  Heleph,  from  Allon  to 
Zaanannim,  and  Adami,  Nekeb,  and  Jabnecl,  unto 
Lakum;  and  the  out-goings  thereof  were  at  Jordan: 

31  And  ihen  the  coast  turneth  westvvard  to  Aznoth- 
tabor,  andgoeth  out  from  thence  to  Ilukkok,  and  reach- 

tainly  four  others  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament 
history.  We  are  not,  therefore,  to  lay  much  stress 
on  the  discovery  of  an  Aphek  by  the  river  Adonis, 
above  the  thirty-fourth  parallel.  That  it  is  the 
Aphaca  of  Eusebius  and  Sozomen,  where  the  fa- 
mous temple  of  Aphrodite  stood,  there  can  be  no 
doubt,  but  that  it  is  the  Aphek  of  Asher  is  very 
hard  to  believe. 

Twenty  and  two  cities.  By  leaving  out  Zidon, 
as  I  have  proposed  above. 

The  Lot  of  NapJitalL 

Ver.  33.  Heleph  is  unknown. 

Allon  to  Zaanannim.  Rather,  "  the  oak-forest 
at  Zaanannim."  Zaanannim  is  near  Kedesh  ( Judg. 
iv.  11),  north-west  of  the  Huleh. 

Adami-neheh  should  be  read  as  one  word.  This 
place  and  Jahneel  and  Lakum  are  unknown.  Jab- 
neel  may  be  at  Dibbin,  and  then  the  Jordan  at 
Hasbeiya  would  mark  Naphtali's  north-eastern 
corner. 

Ver.  34.  Turneth  westward^  i.e.,  from  Jordan, 
which  is  Naphtali's  east  border.     This  begins  the 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XIX.  191 

eth  to  Zebnlun  on  the  south  side,  and  reacheth  to  Asher 
on  the  west  side,  and  to  Judah  upon  Jordan  toward* 
the  sun-rising. 

35  And  the  fenced  cities  are  Ziddim,  Zer,  and  Ham- 
math,  Rakkath,  and  Cinneroth, 

south  boundary,  at  the  Jordan,  just  south  of  the 
lake  of  Tiberias. 

Aznoth-tahor  and  Hulclcoh  must  have  been  in  the 
neicrhborhood  of  Kefr  Sabt.  The  boundaries  of 
Zehulun  and  Asher  then  are  touched,  extending  to 
Jotapata  (Jefat),  and  so  northward  to  the  Leontes. 
So  Zebulun  was  Naphtah's  south  limit,  Asher  its 
west  limit,  and  Judah  upon  Jordan  its  east  limit. 
Judah  upon  Jordan  is  supposed  by  Von  Raumer 
to  mean  the  sixty  towns  of  Jair  and  the  lands 
appertaining,  which  he  sites  upon  the  east  of  the 
Jordan,  opposite  Naphtali's  lot.  Jair  was  a  Judah- 
ite,  although  inheriting  in  Manasseh.  (See  1  Chron. 
ii.  5,  21,  22.)  Hence  his  territory,  though  in 
Manasseh,  would  be  called  Judah.  Keil  accepts 
this  view.  It  may  be  that  the  w^ord  "  Judah  "  has 
slipped  in,  and  that  the  text  originally  stood  simply 
*'  to  Jordan  on  the  east."     (Comp.  LXX.) 

Ver.  35.  Ziddim  is  unknown. 

Zer  I  conjecture  to  be  the  Chorazin  of  the 
gospels,  on  the  lake.  Chorazin  is  called  by  Origcn 
X(6Qct  Ziv  (Chora-zin),  or  ''the  region  of  Zin." 
That  Zin  should  be  the  same  as  Zer  is  very  nat- 
ural. 

Ilammdth  is  certainly  Ammaus,  the  "  Hammam  " 
below  Tiberias. 

Rakkath  is  Kerak,  at  the  south  of  the  lake. 


192  COMMENTARY  ON 

36  And  Adamali,  and  Ramah,  and  Hazor, 

37  And  Kedesh,  and  Edrei,  and  En-hizor, 

38  And  Iron,  and  Migdal-el,  Horem,  and  Beth-anath, 
and  Beth-shenissh;  nineteen  cities  with  their  villages. 

39  This  is  the  inheritance  of  the  tribe  of  the  cliil- 
dren  of  Naphtali  according  to  their  families,  the  cities 
and  their  villages. 

40  ^  And  the  seventh  lot  came  out  for  the  tribe  of 
the  children  of  Dan  according  to  their  families. 

41  And  the  coast  of  their  inheritance  was  Zorah, 
and  Eshtaol,  and  Ir-shemesh, 

42  And  Shaalabbin,  and  Ajalon,  and  Jethlah, 

Cinneroth  was  on  the  little  plain  south  of 
Mejdelj  also  on  the  lake. 

Ver.  36.  Adamah  was  probably  in  the  Ard  el- 
Ahmar. 

RamaJi  is  Rameh. 

Hazor  is  Huzzur. 

Ver.  37.  Kedesh  is  Kedes. 

Edrei  is  unknown. 

Mn-liazor  is  Ain  Hazur. 

Yer.  38.  Iron  is  Jarun. 

Migdal-el  is  Magdala  (Mejdel)  on  the  lake. 

Sorem  is,  perhaps,  Hurah. 

Beth-anath  is,  perhaps,  Ainata. 

Beth-shemeth  is  Bessum  (see  on  ver.  22),  which 
probably  had  a  district  in  each  tribe,  Issachar  and 
Naphtali. 

The  Lot  of  Dan. 

Ver.  41.  Zorah  and  BshtaoL  (See  on  chap. 
XV.  33.) 

Ir-shemesh,  same  as  Beth-shemesh  (1  Ki.  iv.  9. 
See  chap.  xv.  10.) 

Ver.  42.  Shaalabbin  is  Selb\t,  north  of  Ajalon. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XIX.  198 

43  And  Elon,  and  Thimnathah,  and  Ekron, 

44  And  Eltekeh,  and  Gibbethon,  and  Baalath, 

45  And  Jehiid,  and  Bene-berak,  and  Gath-rimmon, 

46  And  Me-jarkon,  and  Kakkon,  with  the  border  be- 
fore Japho. 

47  And  the  coast  of  the  children  of  Dan,  went  out 
too  little  for  them:  therefore  the  children  of  Dan  went 
up  to  fight  against  Leshem,  and  took  it,  and  smote  it 
with  the  edge  of  the  sword,  and  possessed  it,  and  dwelt 
therein,  and  called  Leshem,  Dan,  after  the  name  of 
Dan  their  father. 

Ajalon  is  Salo. 

Jethlah  is  unknown. 

Ver.  43.  Elon  is  unkuowu. 

Thimnathah  (Timnah)  and  Ekron,  (See  on 
chap.  XV.  10, 11.) 

Ver.  44.  Eltekeh  and  G-ihbethon  are  unknown. 

Baalath  (Baalah).     (See  on  chap.  xv.  11.) 

Ver.  45.  Jehud  is,  perhaps,  Jehudiyeh,  and  Bene- 
herak  is  Ibn-Ibrak,  both  on  the  north  side  of  Wady 
Muzeirah.  If  so,  then  Gath-rimmon  must  be 
sought  in  this  vicinity.  It  may  be,  however,  that 
Gath-rimmon  and  Gath  are  the  same,  and  then  we 
must  look  for  Jeliud  and  Bene-berak  in  the  vicinity 
of  Tell  es-Safieh. 

Ver.  46.  Me-jarkon  and  Bakkon  are  unknown. 

TJie  border  before  Japho^  i.e.,  Japho  (Joppa)  and 
the  border  of  the  sea  that  lies  near  it.  (Comp. 
the  phrases  like  ol  dfiqil  IlQiafiov,  so  common  in  the 
Greek.) 

Ver.  47.  The  Hebrew  literally  translated  is  this : 
"  And  the  border  of  the  children  of  Dan  went  forth 
from  them,  and  the  children  of  Dan  w^ent  up,"  &c. 
The  first  clause  is  equivalent  to  '^  the  children  of 

9  M 


l94  COMIMENTARY  ON 


48  This  is  tHe  inheritance  of  the  tribe  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Dan  according  to  their  families,  these  cities 
with  their  villages. 

49  "^  When  they  had  made  an  end  of  dividing  the 
land  for  inheritance  by  their  coasts,  the  children  of 
Israel  gave  an  inheritance  to  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun 
among  them: 

50  According  to  the  word  of  the  Lord  they  gave 
him  the  city  which  he  asked,  even  Timnath-serah  in 
mount  Ephraim:  and  he  built  the  city,  and  dwelt 
therein. 

51  These  are  the  inheritances  which  Eleazar  the 
priest,  and  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  and  the  heads  of 
the  fathers  of  the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel, 
divided  for  an  inheritance  by  lot  in  Shiloh  before  the 
Lord,  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congrega- 
tion.    So  they  made  an  end  of  dividing  the  country. 


Dan  went  forth  from  their  border."  So  the  LXX 
nnderstand  it.  It  is  a  metathesis  of  subject  and 
object.  (Comp.  Shakespeare's  "  His  coward  lips 
did  from  their  colour  flj.") 

The  ''  too  little  "  of  our  English  version  is  gratui- 
tous, and  the  "  for  "  is  erroneous. 

LesJiem  is  Laish.  See  Judges  xviii.  for  the  full 
account.  Laish  is  Tell  el-Kadi,  a  few  miles  west 
of  Baneas,  at  one  of  the  sources  of  the  Jordan,  and 
about  one  hundred  miles  distant  from  Dan's  in- 
heritance. This  raid  upon  Leshem  was  made  after 
Joshua's  death,  and  its  story  is  inserted  here  to 
complete  the  view  of  Dan's  settlement.  We  see 
in  Judges  i.  34,  the  reason  for  this  movement ;  to 
wit,  that  the  Amorites  were  too  strong  for  Dan,  and 
kept  them  out  of  their  best  territory. 

Yer.  50.  According  to  the  word  of  the  Lord. 
This  is  not  recorded  in  the  Pentateuch,  just  as  the 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XIX.  195 

details  concerning  Caleb's  possession  are  not  re- 
corded there.     (See  on  chap.  xiv.  9.) 

Timnath-serah  (Timnath-heres  in  Judg.  ii.  9)  is 
Tibneh,  eight  miles  north-west  of  Bethel. 

Built,  i.e.,  "  built  up,"  or  "  rebuilt."  This  chap- 
ter ends  the  account  of  the  distribution  of  the 
land. 


196  COMMENTARY  OK 


CHAPTER  XX. 

IX.  The  Cities  of  Refuge. 

1  The  Lord  also  spake  unto  Joshua,  saying, 

2  Speak  to  the  children  of  Israel,  saying,  Appoint 
out  for  you  cities  of  refuge,  whereof  I  spake  unto  you 
by  the  hand  of  Moses: 

3  That  the  slayer  that  killeth  any  person  unawares 
and  unwittingly,  may  flee  thither:  and  they  shall  be 
your  refuge  from  the  avenger  of  blood. 

4  And  when  he  that  doth  flee  unto  one  of  those 
cities  shall  stand  at  the  entering  of  the  gate  of  the  city, 
and  shall  declare  his  cause  in  the  ears  of  the  elders  of 
that  city,  they  shall  take  him  into  the  city  unto  them, 
and  give  him  a  place,  that  he  may  dwell  among  them. 

0  And  if  the  avenger  of  blood  pursue  after  him, 
then  they  shall  not  deliver  the  slayer  up  into  his  hand; 
because  he  smote  his  neighbour  unwittingly,  and  hated 
him  not  beforetime. 

6  And  he  shall  dwell  in  that  city,  until  he  stand 
before  the  congregation  for  judgment,  and  until  the 
death  of  the  high  priest  that  shall  be  in  those  days: 
then  shall  the  slayer  return,  and  come  unto  his  own 
city,  and  unto  his  own  house,  unto  the  city  from  whence 
he  fled. 

Ver.  2.  Cities  of  refuge.  Rather,  "  the  cities  of 
refuge,"  i.e.,  those  referred  to  in  Num.  xxxv.  6,  11. 

Ver.  3.  Unawares  and  univittingly.  Lit.,  "by 
mistake  in  failure  of  knowledge."  That  is,  where 
there  was  no  design  to  commit  murder,  but  the 
blow  was  given  in  ignorance  of  its  result. 

Avenger  of  blood.  Heb.,  "  Goel  Haddam."  For 
the  law  of  the  avenger,  see  Num.  xxxv.     It  was  a 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XX.  197 

7  If  And  they  appointed  Kedesh  in  Galilee  in  moimt 
Naphtali,  and  Shechem  in  mount  Ephraini,  and  Kirjath- 
arba,  (which  is  Hebron)  in  the  mountain  of  Judah. 

8  And  on  the  other  side  Jordan  bj  Jericho  eastward, 
they  assigned  Bezer  in  the  wilderness  upon  the  plain 

system  which  checked  revenge,  by  giving  the  aven- 
ger a  sacred  character,  and,  by  the  cities  of  refuge, 
protected  the  innocent  from  harm. 

The?/  shall  he.  So  "shall  stand,"  "shall  de- 
clare," "  shall  take,"  &;c.,  in  the  next  verse.  These 
are  all  preterites  in  the  Hebrew,  as  marking  a  system 
already  established,  but  now  only  made  available. 

Ver.  7.  And  they  appointed  Kedesh.  This  in 
Hebrew  is  a  paronomasia,  "  ^s^^iyjahedishu  eth- 
Kedesh.'"     For  Kedesh,  see  chap.  xix.  37. 

aalilee.  Heb.,  "  Galil"  (circle).  In  Isaiah 
"Gelil  ha-goyim"  (Galilee  of  the  Gentiles),  be- 
cause so  many  foreigners  dwelt  in  that  northern 
part  of  Palestine. 

Mount  Naphtali^  i.e.^  the  mountainous  portion  of 
Naphtali,  as  distinguished  from  that  part  of  Naph- 
tali  lying  in  the  Jordan  valley. 

Shechem.  The  well-known  central  town  of 
Palestine,  between  Ebal  and  Gerizim,  mentioned 
frequently  in  the  patriarchal  history,  the  Sychar  of 
our  Lord's  day,  now  Nablus  (Neapolis). 

Mount  Ephraim.  The  mountain  district  of 
Ephraim :  Manasseh  and  Benjamin  was  so  called. 
Shechem  was  in  Ephraim  (Josh.  xxi.  20,  21). 

Hebron.     (See  on  chap.  x.  3.) 

Ver^  8.  These  cities  of  refuge  on  the  east 
side   of  Jordan  had   already  been   appointed  by 


198  COMMENTARY   ON 

out  of  the  tribe  of  Reuben,  and  Ramoth  in  Gilead  out 
of  the  tribe  of  Gad,  and  Golan  in  Bashan  out  of  the 
tribe  of  Manasseh. 

9  These  were  the  cities  appointed  for  all  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel,  and  for  the  stranger  that  sojourneth 

Moses  (Deut.  iv.  43).  Bezer  is  not  yet  identified, 
though  we  may  hope  that  the  American  Exploring 
Expedition  now  engaged  in  triangulating  the  terri- 
tory east  of  Jordan  may  find  this  interesting  site. 
Bezer  is  called  Bezer  in  the  wilderness  (Midbar), 
in  the  plain  (Mishor)  of  Reuben.  The  Mishor 
would  appear  to  be  the  plain  between  Heshbon 
and  the  Wady  Zerka  Main  (now  el-Belka),  and 
the  31idhar  of  this  Mishor  would  be  its  eastern 
frontier.  If  so,  we  must  look  for  Bezer  near  Jebel 
Jalul. 

Ramoth  in  Gilead.  It  is  usual  to  consider  es- 
Salt,  three  miles  south  of  Jebel  Osha,  to  be  Ramoth- 
Gilead,  but  this  site  is  not  near  enough  to  Damas- 
cus and  Argob  to  suit  the  various  statements  in 
the  Old  Testament  concerning  it.  If  Ramoth-Gil- 
ead  and  Ramath-Mizpeh  (Josh.  xiii.  21)  are  the 
same,  and  if  Jacob's  Mizpeh  is  to  be  identified  with 
this,  then  we  have  an  additional  argument  for  be- 
lieving that  Ramoth-Gilead  is  to  be  placed  at  or 
near  Gerash,  according  to  Ewald  and  the  Jewish 
traveller  Parchi.* 

Golan  is  not  identified,  but  it  gave  name  to  the 
well-known  province  of  Gaulonitis  (Jaulan),  east 
of  the  lake  of  Galilee. 

*  Since  the  above  was  written,  Mr.  Paine,  of  the  American 
Expedition,  informs  me  that  he  has  identified  Ramoth-Gilead  near 
Gerash. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XX.  199 

among  them,  that  whosoever  killeth  any  person  at  una- 
wares might  flee  thither,  and  not  die  by  the  hand  of 
the  avenger  of  blood,  until  he  stood  before  the  congre- 
gation. 

Ver.  9.  The  fugitive,  on  arriving  at  the  city  of 
refuge,  reported  himself,  and  was  protected  until 
the  assembly  of  his  own  town  could  pass  judgment 
in  the  case.  Thus  much  is  alluded  to  in  this  verse. 
In  ver.  6  reference  is  made  to  the  death  of  the 
high-priest.  This  has  regard  to  the  case  of  the 
slayer  if  innocent.  If  he  were  guilty  of  intentional 
murder,  the  city  of  refuge  extended  no  protection 
over  him  after  the  assembly  of  his  own  town  had 
convicted  him.  But  if  innocent^  then  he  was  taken 
back  to  the  city  of  refuge,  and  abode  there,  pro- 
tected, till  the  then  high-priest  died. 


200  COMMENTARY  ON 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

X»  The  Levitical  Cities. 

1  Then  came  near  the  heads  of  the  fathers  of  the 
Levites  unto  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  unto  Joshua  the 
son  of  Nun,  and  unto  the  heads  of  the  fathers  of 
the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel; 

2  And  they  spake  unto  them  at  Shiloh  in  the  land 
of  Canaan,  saying,  The  Lord  commanded  by  the  hand 
of  Moses  to  give  us  cities  to  dwell  in,  with  the  suburbs 
thereof  for  our  cattle. 

3  And  the  children  of  Israel  gave  unto  the  Levites 
out  of  their  inheritance,  at  the  commandment  of  the 
Loud,  these  cities  and  their  suburbs. 

4  And  the  lot  came  out  for  the  families  of  the  Kohath- 
ites:  and  the  children  of  Aaron  the  priest,  ichich  ivere 
of  the  Levites,  had  by  lot  out  of  the  tribe  of  Judah, 
and  out  of  the  tribe  of  Simeon,  and  out  of  the  tribe  of 
Benjamin,  thirteen  cities. 

Ver.  1.  Heads  of  the  fathers.  (See  on  chap, 
xiv.  1.) 

Ver.  2.  At  Shiloh.  The  occasion  is  the  same  as 
that  mentioned  in  chap,  xviii.  1.  We  need  not 
imagine  any  new  gathering  at  Shiloh.  But  this 
was  part  of  the  process  of  distribution  and  assign- 
ment. 

In  the  land  of  Canaan.  They  were  actually  in 
the  land  promised.     (See  Num.  xxxiv.  29.) 

The  Lord  commanded  hy  the  hand  of  Moses. 
(See  Num.  xxxv.  2.) 

Ver.  4.   The   children  of  Levi  were  Kohath, 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XXI.  201 

5  And  the  rest  of  the  children  of  Kohath  had  by  lot 
out  of  the  faniiUes  of  the  tribe  of  Ephriiim,  and  out  of 
the  tribe  of  Dan,  and  out  of  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh, 
ten  cities. 

G  And  the  children  of  Gershon  hul  by  lot  out  of  the 
families  of  the  tribe  of  Issachar,  and  out  of  the  tribe 
of  Asher,  and  out  of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali,  and  out  of 
the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh  in  Bashan,  thirteen  cities. 

7  The  children  of  Merari  by  their  families  hud  out 
of  the  tribe  of  Reuben,  and  out  of  the  tribe  of  Gad, 
and  out  of  the  tribe  of  Zebulun,  twelve  cities. 

8  And  the  children  of  Israel  gave  by  lot  unto  the 
Le\dtes  these  cities  with  their  suburbs,  as  the  Loud 
commanded  by  the  hand  of  Moses. 

9  ^  And  they  gave  out  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of 
Judah,  and  out  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Simeon, 
these  cities  which  are  here  mentioned  by  name, 

10  Which  the  cliildren  of  Aaron,  being  of  the  fami- 
lies of  the  Kohathites,  loho  loere  of  the  children  of 
Levi,  had:  for  theirs  was  the  first  lot. 

11  And  they  gave  them  the  city  of  Arba  the  father 

Gershon,  and  IMerari  (Gen.  xlvi.  11).  Out  of  tlie 
Kohathites  came  the  priestly  family  of  Aaron. 
This  priestly  portion  of  Kohath  received  its  thir- 
teen cities  in  Judah,  Simeon,  and  Benjamin. 

Ver.  5.  The  rest  of  Kohath's  family  received 
ten  cities  further  north,  in  Ephraim  and  ^Linasseh, 
and  also  in  Dan  on  the  west. 

Ver.  6.  Gershon  received  thirteen  cities  still 
further  north,  in  Issachar,  Asher,  Naphtali,  and 
across  Jordan  in  Manasseh. 

Ver.  7.  Merari  received  twelve  cities  in  tlie 
southern  part  of  the  trans-Jordanic  territory  (op- 
posite Ephraim,  Manasseh,  and  Judah),  in  Reuben 
and  Gad,  and  also  in  Zebulun  on  the  west  side 
(in  the  midst  of  the  Gershonite  cities). 

Ver.  11.  And  they  gave  tJicm^  &c.  As  the  forty- 
9* 


202  COIkllMENTARY  ON 

of  Anak  (which  city  is  Hebron)  in  the  hill-country  of 
Judah,  with  the  suburbs  thereof  round  about  it. 

12  But  the  fields  of  the  city,  and  the  villages  thereof, 
gave  they  to  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh  for  his  pos- 
session. 

13  ^  Thus  they  gave  to  the  children  of  Aaron  the 
priest,  Hebron  with  her  suburbs,  to  he  a  city  of  refuge 
for  the  slayer;  and  Libnah  with  her  suburbs, 

14  And  Jattir  with  her  suburbs,  and  Eshtemoa  with 
her  suburbs, 

15  And  Holon  with  her  suburbs,  and  Debir  with  her 
suburbs, 

16  And  Ain  with  her  suburbs,  and  Juttah  with  her 
suburbs,  and  Beth-shemesh  with  her  suburbs;  nine 
cities  out  of  those  two  tribes. 

17  And  out  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  Gibeon  with 
her  suburbs,   Geba  with  her  suburbs, 

18  Anathoth  with  her  suburbs,  and  Almon  with 
her  suburbs ;  four  cities. 

19  All  the  cities  of  the  children  of  Aaron,  the  priests, 
were  thirteen  cities  mth  their  suburbs. 

20  ^  And  the  families  of  the  children  of  Kohath,  the 
Levites  which  remained  of  the  children  of  Kohath, 
even  they  had  the  cities  of  their  lot  out  of  the  tribe  of 
Ephraim. 

21  For  they  gave  them  Shechem  with  her  suburbs 
in  mount  Ephraim,  to  be  a  city  of  refuge  for  the  slayer; 
and  Gezer  with  her  suburbs, 

22  And  Kibzaim  with  her  suburbs,  and  Beth-horon 
with  her  suburbs  ;  four  cities. 

23  And  out  of  the  tribe  of  Dan,  Eltekeh  with  her 
suburbs,  Gibbethon  with  her  suburbs, 

24  Aijalon  with  her  suburbs,  Gath-rimmon  with  her 
suburbs;  four  cities. 

eight  cities  here  enumerated  have  been  mostly 
described  before,  when  their  names  occm:red  in  the 
settlement  of  the  tribes,  notes  will  only  be  given 
on  any  new  name  or  circumstance  mentioned. 

Ver.  18.  AnatTiotJi  is  Anata. 

Almon  is  unknown. 

Ver.  22.  Kihzaim  is  unknown. 


JOSHUA^  CHAP.   XXI.  203 

25  And  out  of  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh,  Tanach 
with  her  suburbs,  and  Gath-rimmon  with  her  suburbs; 
two  cities. 

26  All  the  cities  'cere  ten  with  their  suburbs,  for  the 
families  of  the  children  of  Kohath  that  remained. 

27  ^  And  unto  the  children  of  Gershon,  of  the  fami- 
lies of  the  Levites,  out  of  the  other  half- tribe  of  IManas- 
seh  they  fjave  Golan  in  Bashan  with  her  suburbs,  to  he  a 
city  of  refuge  for  the  slayer,  and  Beesh-terah  with  her 
suburbs;  two  cities. 

28  An<l  out  of  the  tribe  of  Issachar,  Kishon  with  her 
suburbs,  Dabareh  with  her  suburbs, 

29  Jarmuth  with  her  suburbs,  Engannin  with  her 
suburbs;  four  cities. 

30  And  out  of  the  tribe  of  Asher,  JVIishal  with  her 
suburbs,  Abdon  -vvith  her  suburbs, 

31  Helkath  with  her  suburbs,  and  Rehob  with  her 
suburbs ;  four  cities. 

32  And  out  of  the  tribe  of  Xaphtali,  Kedesh  in  Gali- 
lee with  her  suburbs,  to  he  a  city  of  refuge  for  the 
slayer;  and  Hammoth-dor  with  her  suburbs,  and 
Kartan  with  her  suburbs:  three  cities. 


Veb.  25.  Gath-rimmon.  Gath-rimmon  was  in 
Dan,  and  is  already  given  in  the  previous  verse. 
This  mention  of  it  is  undoubtedly  a  copyist's  error. 
The  name  should  be  (as  in  1  Chron.  vi.  70)  Bil- 
eam  (the  Ibleam  of  chap.  xvii.  11). 

Ver.  27.  Beesli-terah  is  "  Ashtaroth"  in  1  Chron. 
vi.  71.  It  was  probably  Ashteroth  Karnaim.  (See 
on  chap.  xiii.  12,  and  comp.  Gen.  xiv.  5.) 

Ver.  32.  Hammoth-dor  is  Hammath  in  chap. 
xix.  35. 

Kartan  may  be  Migdal-el  of  chap.  xix.  38,  and, 
as  the  Levitical  portion,  may  have  been  (in  Migdal- 
minnith)  the  later  Dalmanutha  (Mark  viii.  10). 
Migdal-minnith  would  mean  ''  the  tower  of  the 
allotment,"  and  Migdal-el,  ''the  tower  of   God." 


204  COMMENTARY   ON 

33  All  the  cities  of  the  Gershonites,  according  to 
their  families,  were  thirteen  cities  with  their  suburbs. 

oJ:  ^  And  unto  the  families  of  the  children  of  Merari, 
the  rest  of  the  Levites,  out  of  the  trite  of  Zebulun, 
Jokneam  with  her  suburbs,  and  Kartah  with  her 
suburbs, 

35  Dininah  with  her  subui'bs,  isahalal  with  her 
suburbs;  four  cities. 

36  And  out  of  the  tribe  of  E,eubpn,  Bezer  wdth  her 
suburbs,  and  Jahazah  with  her  suburbs, 

37  Kedenioth  with  her  suburbs,  and  Mephaath  with 
her  suburbs;  four  cities. 

38  And  out  of  the  tribe  of  Gad,  Ramoth  in  Gilead 
with  her  suburbs,  to  be  a  city  of  refuge  for  the  slayer; 
and  Mahanaim  with  her  suburbs, 

39  Pleshbon  with  her  suburbs,  Jazer  with  her  sub- 
urbs; four  cities  in  all. 

40  So  all  the  cities  for  the  children  of  Merari  by 
their  families,  which  were  remaining  of  the  families  of 
the  Levites,  were  by  their  lot  twelve  cities. 

41  All  the  cities  of  the  Levites  within  the  possession 
of  the  children  of  Israel  were  forty  and  eight  cities  with 
their  suburbs. 

42  These  cities  were  every  one  with  their  suburbs 
round  about  them.     Thus  toere  all  these  cities. 

43  "f  And  the  Lord  gave  unto  Israel  all  the  land 
which  he  sware  to  give  unto  their  fathers:  and  they  pos- 
sessed it.  and  dwelt  therein. 

44  And  the  Lord  gave  them  rest  round  about,  ac- 
cording to  all  that  he  sware  unto  their  fathers:  and 
there  stood  not  a  man  of  all  their  enemies  before  them; 
the  Lord  delivered  all  their  enemies  into  their  hand. 

45  There  failed  not  aught  of  any  good  thing  which 
the  Lord  had  spoken  unto  the  house  of  Israel;  all 
came  to  pass. 

Kartan  is  not  given  in  the  list  of  Naphtali's  towns 
in  chap.  xix.  If  this  conjecture  be  true,  then 
Dalmanutha  and  Magdala  on  the  Avest  shore  of  the 
lake  of  Galilee  would  be  the  same,  and  Kartan 
would  be  its   original  name. 

Ver.  34.  Kartah  is  unknown. 

Ver.  35.  Bimnah  is  unknown. 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XXII.  205 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

XL     The  Return  of  the  Two  Tribes  and  a  Half. 

1  Then  Joshua  called  the  Reubenites,  and  the  Gad- 
ites,  and  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh, 

At  the  close  of  the  preceding  chapter  we  were 
told  of  the  complete  possession  of  the  promised 
land  by  Israel,  and  the  perfect  peace  which  the 
tribes  enjoyed.  It  is  true,  many  Canaanites  re- 
mained in  various  parts  of  the  country,  some  of 
them  in  strongholds  ;  but  their  number  was  com- 
paratively small,  and  their  presence  Avas  due  to 
Israel's  neglect  and  not  to  the  Lord's  withdrawal 
of  his  hand.  Every  good  thing  which  the  Lord 
had  spoken  unto  the  house  of  Israel  had  been  given, 
but  they  had  failed  to  make  a  thorough  work  with 
the  divine  supply  of  strength.  When  at  Shiloh  the 
distribution  of  the  land  had  been  perfected,  the 
Reubenites,  Gadites,  and  Manassites  of  the  trans- 
Jordanic  region,  who  had  faithfully  for  seven  years 
continued  with  their  brethren  in  the  subjugation 
of  the  western  country,  are  dismissed  by  Joshua  to 
their  homes.  As  this  return  gave  rise  to  a  re- 
markable incident,  which  evinced  the  faithfulness 
of  Israel,  its  details  are  carefully  recorded  in  this 
chapter. 


206  COMMENTARY  ON 

2  And  said  unto  them,  Ye  have  kept  all  that  Moses 
the  servant  of  the  Lord  commanded  you,  and  have 
cheyed  my  voice  in  all  that  I  commanded  you: 

3  Ye  have  not  left  your  brethren  these  many  days 
unto  this  day,  but  have  kept  the  charge  of  the  com- 
mandment of  the  Lord  your  God. 

4  And  now  the  Lord  your  God  hath  given  "rest  unto 
your  brethren,  as  he  promised  them:  therefore  now  re- 
turn ye,  and  get  you  unto  your  tents,  ayid  unto  the  land 
of  your  possession,  which  Moses  the  servant  of  the 
Lord  gave  you  on  the  other  side  Jordan. 

5  But  take  diligent  heed  to  do  the  commandment 
and  the  law,  which  Moses  the  servant  of  the  Lord 
charged  you,  to  love  the  Lord  your  God,  and  to  walk 
in  all  his  ways,  and  to  keep  his  commandments,  and  to 
cleave  unto  him,  and  to  serve  him  with  all  your  heart, 
and  with  all  your  soul. 

6  So  Joshua  blessed  them,  and  sent  them  away; 
and  they  went  unto  their  tents. 

7  Now  to  the  one  half  of  the  tribe  of  Manasseh, 
Moses  had  given  possession  in  Bashan:  but  unto  the 

Ver.  2.  They  liad  equally  obeyed  the  Lord 
through  the  mouth  of  Moses  and  of  Joshua. 

Ver.  4.  Tents.  It  is  probable  that  some  time 
elapsed  before  their  cities  on  the  east  side  were 
rebuilt ;  and,  indeed,  it  is  likely  that  the  two  tribes 
and  a  half  used  permanently  to  some  extent  the 
nomadic  tent-life,  as  they  were  especially  concerned 
with  the  care  of  cattle. 

Ver.  5.  The  commandment  mid  the  laiv.  The 
former  refers  to  all  the  special  orders  communi- 
cated through  Moses  and  Joshua,  and  the  latter  to 
the  written  law. 

To  love.,  &c.  The  great  purpose  of  command- 
ment and  law  is  here  given,  showing  that  God 
asked  of  them  no  formalism,  but  the  preparation 
of  the  heart  before  him. 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  xxn.  207 

other  half  thereof  gave  Joshua  among  their  brethren 
on  this  side  Jordan  westward.  And  when  Joshua  sent 
them  away  also  unto  their  tents,  then  he  blessed  them, 

8  And  he  spake  unto  them,  saying,  Return  with 
much  riches  unto  your  tents,  and  with  very  much  cattle, 
with  silver,  and  with  gold,  and  with  brass,  and  with  iron, 
and  with  very  much  raiment :  divide  the  spoil  of  your  ene- 
mies with  your  brethren. 

9  ^  And  the  children  of  Reuben,  and  the  children  of 
Gad,  and  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh  returned,  and  de- 
parted from  the  children  of  Israel  out  of  Shiloh,  which 
is  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  to  go  unto  the  country  of 
Gilead,  to  the  land  of  their  possession,  whereof  they 
were  possessed,  according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord  by 
the  hand  of  Moses. 

10  T[  And  when  they  came  unto  the  borders  of  »Tordan, 
that  are  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  the  children  of  Reuben, 
and  the  children  of  Gad,  and  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh 
built  there  an  altar  by  Jordan,  a  great  altar  to  see  to. 

11  ^  And  the  children  of  Israel  heard  say.  Behold, 
the  children  of  Reuben,  and  the  children  of  Gad,  and 
the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh,  have  built  an  altar  over 
against  the  land  of  Canaan,  in  the  borders  of  Jordan, 
at  the  passage  of  the  children  of  Israel. 

12  And  when  the  children  of  Israel  heard  of  it,  the 
whole  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel  gathered 
themselves  together  at  Shiloh,  to  go  up  to  war  against 
them. 

Ver.  8.  With  your  brethren^  i.e.^  those  who  had 
remained  at  home  to  guard  the  eastern  side.  (See 
on  chap.  i.  14.) 

Vee.  9.  Land  of  Canaan^  i.e.^  the  west  side  of 
the  Jordan. 

Country  of  Gilead^  i.e.,  the  east  side  of  Jordan. 

Ver.  11.  Over  against  the  land  of  Canaan. 
Rather,  *'  in  front  of  the  land  of  Canaan,"  i.e.,  on 
its  extreme  edge.  The  altar,  we  see  from  ver  10, 
was  on  the  west  bank,  in  the  land  of  Canaan.  (See 
also  on  ver.  9.) 

Ver.  12.  The  whole  people  on  the  west  side  are 


208  COMMENTARY   ON 

13  And  the  children  of  Israel  sent  unto  the  children 
of  Retil)en,  and  to  the  children  of  Gad.  and  to  the  half- 
tribe  of  iManasseh  into  the  land  of  Gilead,  Phinehas 
the  son  of  Eleazar  the  priest, 

14  And  with  him  ten  princes,  of  each  chief  house  a 
prince  throughout  all  the  tribes  of  Israel;  and  each  one 
icas  an  head  of  the  house  of  their  fathers  among  the 
thousands  of  Israel. 

15  ^  And  they  came  unto  the  6hildren  of  Reuben, 
and  to  the  children  of  Gad.  and  to  the  half-tribe  of  Ma- 
nasseh,  unto  the  land  of  Gilead,  and  they  spake  with 
them,  saying, 

aroused  most  rightfull}^,  for  the  act  of  tlie  two  and 
a  half  tribes  seemed  to  be  a  direct  rebellion  aq-ainst 
God's  authority,  for  he  had  established  one  only 
altar  for  the  whole  of  Israel.  Although  they  af- 
terwards explained  theh  act  as  done  with  no  pur- 
pose of  making  the  altar  a  sacrificial  altar  (ver. 
23),  yet  they  certainly  did  a  most  imprudent  and 
rash  thing  in  building  an  altar  at  all.  They  should 
have  asked  of  the  Lord  through  the  high-priest, 
before  forming  so  dangerous  a  precedent.  (See  a 
like  error  of  Gideon's  regarding  the  ephod  at 
Ophrah,  Judg.  viii.  27.)  The  readiness  of  Israel 
to  war  upon  their  offending  brethren  was  a  readi- 
ness to  preserve  the  integrity  of  Jehovah's  worship. 

Veb.  13,  14.  The  delegation,  composed  of  the 
high-priest's  son  and  ten  tribal  heads,  showed  Is- 
rael's estimate  of  the  importance  of  the  occasion,  and 
also  their  wise  use  of  peaceable  means  before  war. 

Ver.  15.  Unto  the  land  of  G-ilead.  The  del- 
egation mid  the  two  tribes  and  a  half  already 
across  Jordan,  and  in  their  territories.  The  con- 
ference was  probably  had   with   a   representative 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  xxn.  209 

16  Thus  saitli  the  whole  congregation  of  the  Lord, 
What  trespass  is  this  that  ye  have  committed  against 
the  God  of  Israel,  to  turn  away  this  day  from  follow- 
ing the  Lord,  in  that  ye  have  builded  you  an  altar, 
that  ye  might  rebel  this  day  against  the  Lord? 

17  Is  the  iniquity  of  Peor  too  little  for  us,  from 
■which  we  are  not  cleansed  until  this  day,  although 
there  was  a  plague  in  the  congregation  of  the  Lord, 

18  But  that  ye  must  turn  away  this  day  from  fol- 
lowing the  Lord?  and  it  will  be,  seeing  ye  rebel  to-day 
against  the  Lord,  that  to-morrow  he  will  be  wroth 
with  the  whole  congregation  of  Israel. 

19  Notwithstanding,  if  the  land  of  your  possession 
he  unclean,  then  pass  ye  over  unto  the  land  of  the  pos- 
session of  the  Lord,  wherein  the  Lord's  tabernacle 

assembly  of  the  two  tribes  and  a  half  at  some  cen- 
tral spot,  like  Ramoth-Gilead. 

Ver.  16.  They  accuse  the  two  tribes  and  a  half 
of  rebellion,  and  give  the  altar  as  proof. 

Ver.  17.  The  iniquity  of  Peor^  i.e.,  the  iniquity 
in  joining  the  Avorshippers  of  Baal-peor  (Num. 
XXV.  3). 

F7'om  which  we  are  not  cleansed.  They  must  al- 
lude to  moral  traces  of  that  fearful  lapse  still  crop- 
ping out  among  the  people,  after  seven  years. 

Plague.  The  plague  which  slew  twenty-four 
thousand  Israelites  because  of  that  sin.  (See  Num. 
XXV.)  Some  were  spared,  it  seems,  who  still  main- 
tained a  tainted  life. 

Ver.  18.  "  If  one  member  suffer,  all  the  members 
suffer  with  it "  (1  Cor.  xii.  26).  This  was  the  rule 
in  the  old  church,  as  in  the  new. 

Ver.  19.  This  verse  contains  a  clear  allusion  to 
the  selfish  act  of  the  two  tribes  and  a  half  in  secur- 
ing the  east  side  of  Jordan.     It  was  not  in  the  land 

N 


210  COMMENTABY   ON 

dwelleth,  and  take  possession  among  us:  but  rebel  not 
against  the  Lord,  nor  rebel  against  us,  in  building 
you  an  altar  beside  the  altar  of  the  Lord  our  God. 

20  Did  not  Achan  the  son  of  Zerah  commit  a  tres- 
pass in  the  accursed  thing,  and  wrath  fell  on  all  the 
congregation  of  Israel?  and  that  man  perished  not 
alone  in  his  iniquity. 

21  ^  Then  the  children  of  Reuben,  and  the  chil- 
dren of  Gad,  and  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh  answered, 
and  said  unto  the  heads  of  the  thousands  of  Israel, 

22  The  Lord  God  of  gods,  the  Lord  God  of  goda, 
he  knoweth,  and  Israel  he  shall  know;  if  it  be  in  rebel- 
lion, or  if  in  transgression  against  the  Lord,  (save  us 
not  this  day,) 

of  the  possession  of  Jehovah^  and  hence  there  is  still 
an  opportunity  for  the  two  tribes  and  a  half  to  give 
up  the  trans-Jordanic  country  and  settle  in  the  land 
originally  designed  for  them,  the  promised  land, 
the  land  of  Canaan.  (See  on  chap.  i.  2,  and  i.  13.) 
This  altar-building  was  a  new  instance  of  the  evils 
resulting  from  a  wrong  course  at  the  start. 

Ver.  20.  Achan's  sin  and  its  effect  upon  many 
is  a  second  illustration  of  the  fearful  danger  of  sin- 
ning against  God's  commands  to  Israel.  The  thirty- 
six  who  perished  before  Ai  lost  their  lives  through 
Achan's  sin. 

Ver.  21.  Heads  of  the  thousands  of  Israel,  i.e., 
"heads  of  the  house  of  their  fathers  among  the 
thousands  of  Israel,"  as  in  ver.  14.  An  abbreviated 
form. 

Vee.  22.  Tlie  Lord  God  of  gods.  Rather,  "  God, 
the  great  God,  Jehovah."  This  repetition  of  "  El, 
Elohim,  Jehovah,"  shows  the  great  earnestness  of 
the  denial. 

iSave  us  not  this  day.     A  direct  cry  to  God,  in- 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  xxn.  211 

23  That  we  have  Inilt  us  an  altar  to  turn  from  foU 
lowing  the  Lord,  or  if  to  offer  thereon  burut-offerino-, 
or  meat-offering,  or  if  to  offer  peace-offerings  thereon, 
let  the  Lord  himself  require  it; 

24  And  if  we  have  not  rather  done  it  for  fear  of  this 
thmg,  saying,  In  time  to  come  your  children  might 
speak  imto  our  children,  saying,  What  have  ve  to°do 
with  the  Lord  God  of  Israel? 

25  For  the  Lord  hatli  made  Jordan  a  border  be- 
tween us  and  you,  ye  children  of  Reuben  and  children 
of  Gad;  ye  have  no  part  in  the  Lord.  So  shall  your 
children  make  our  children  cease  from  fearino"  the 
Lord.  ° 

26  Therefore  we  said,  Let  us  now  prepare  to  build 
us  an  altar,  not  for  burnt-offering,  nor  for  sacrifice: 

27  But  that  it  may  be  a  witness  between  us,  and  you, 
and  our  generations  after  us,  that  we  might  do  the 
service  of  the  Lord  before  him  with  our  burnt-offer- 
ings, and  with  our  sacrifices,  and  with  our  peace- 
offerings  ;  that  your  children  may  not  say  to  our  children 
in  time  to  come.  Ye  have  no  part  in  the  Lord. 

28  Therefore  said  we,  that  it  shall  be,  when  they 
should  so  say  to  us  or  to  our  generations  in  time  to 
come,  that  we  may  say  again,  Behold  the  pattern  of 
the  altar  of  the  Lord,  which  our  fathers  made,  not  for 
burnt-offerings,  nor  for  sacrifices;  but  it  is  a  witness 
between  us  and  you. 

29  God  forbid  that  we  should  rebel  against  the 
Lord,  and  turn  this  day  from  following  the  Lord,  to 
build  an  altar  for  burnt-offerings,  for  meat-offerings, 
or  for  sacrifices,  beside  the  altar  of  the  Lord  our  G^od 
that  is  before  his  tabernacle. 

terjected  in  the  midst  of  their  speech  to  Joshua, 
showing  their  emotion.  They  exclaim  to  God' 
"  Be  no  longer  our  Saviour,  if  we  are  guilty  of 
rebellion  in  this." 

Ver.  24.  For  fear  of  this  thing.  Rather,  "from 
anxiety  [same  word  as  that  translated  'heaviness' 
in  Prov.  xii.  25],  from  a  cause." 

Ver.  27.  That  we  might  do  the  service  of  the  Lord 
before  him^  i.e.,  at  Shiloh. 

Ver.  28.  Pattern.     Rather,  "copy." 


212  COMMENTARY  ON 

30  ^  And  \\hen  Phinehas  the  priest,  and  the  princes 
of  the  congregation,  and  heads  of  the  thousands  of 
Israel  which  were  with  him,  heard  the  words  that  the 
children  of  Reuben,  and  the  children  of  Gad,  and 
the  children  of  Manasseh  spake,  it  pleased  them. 

ol  And  Phinehas  the  son  of  Eleazar  the  priest  said 
unto  the  children  of  Reuben,  and  to  the  children  of 
Gad,  and  to  the  children  of  Manasseh,  This  day  we 
perceive  that  the  Lord  is  among  us,  because  ye  have 
not  committed  this  trespass  against  the  Lord:  now  ye 
have  delivered  the  children  of  Israel  out  of  the  hand  of 
the  Lord. 

32  ^  And  Phinehas  the  son  of  Eleazar  the  priest, 
and  the  princes,  returned  from  the  children  of  Reuben, 
and  from  the  children  of  Gad,  out  of  the  land  of  Gilead, 
unto  the  land  of  Canaan,  to  the  children  of  Israel,  and 
Ijrought  them  word  again. 

33  And  the  thing  pleased  the  children  of  Israel ; 
and  the  children  of  Israel  blessed  God,  and  did  not 
intend  to  go  up  against  them  in  battle,  to  destroy  the 
land  wherein  the  children  of  Reuben  and  Gad  dwelt. 

34  And  the  children  of  Reuben  and  the  children  of 
Gad  called  the  altar  Ed :  for  it  shall  be  a  witness  be- 
tween us  that  the  Lord  is  God. 

Ver.  30.  It  pleased  them.  Lit.,  "  it  was  good 
in  their  eyes."  It  did  not  please  them  that  they 
had  built  the  altar,  but  that  they  had  not  intended 
an}^  rebellion  or  transgression. 

Ver.  31.  Phinehas  argues  from  this  happy  escape 
from  expected  evil,  and  from  the  proof  that  the  two 
tribes  and  a  half  were  loyal  to  God,  to  the  presence 
of  God  among  them,  a  connection  of  argument 
most  true  and  most  worthy  of  note. 

Ver.  34.  Ed.  This  word,  which  means  "  witness," 
occurs  only  once  in  the  Hebrew.  The  verse  should 
read,  "called  the  altar,  'This  is  a  witness  be- 
tween us  that  Jehovah  is  God.' "  This  whole  long 
name  was  given  to  the  altar.  In  Hebrew  it  is 
"Edhu  benothenu  ki  yehowah  ha-elohim." 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XXTTT.  213 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Xn.    Joshua's  Two  Farewell  Addresses.     (Chap, 
xxiii.  to  xxiv.) 

1  And  it  came  to  pass,  a  long  time  after  that  the 
Lord  had  given  rest  unto  Israel  from  all  their  ene- 
mies round  about,  that  Joshua  waxed  old  and  stricken 
in  age. 

Ver.  1.  A  long  time  after — Joshua  waxed  old 
and  stricken  in  age.  The  latter  expression  is  used 
at  chap.  xiii.  1,  in  reference  to  the  time  prior  to 
the  distribution  of  the  land,  and  when  Joshua  was 
probablj^  eighty-seven  years  old.  (See  note  on  1.  c.) 
The  former  expression,  however,  leads  us  forward 
to  some  period  near  Joshua's  death,  perhaps  twenty 
years  after  the  distribution,  and  when  Joshua  was 
one  hundred  and  seven  years  old.  He  may  have 
been  anticipating  his  departure  as  very  near,  and 
felt  constrained  to  use  his  great  influence  to  warn 
the  nation,  before  he  should  leave  them  for  ever. 
He  finds  no  fault,  which  fact  shows  that  the  early 
days  of  the  Hebrew  commonwealth  were  pure  and 
faithful  days,  but  he  saw  that  the  large  number  of 
Canaanites  still  resident  in  the  land  would  be  (un- 
less special  care  were  taken)  a  source  of  sin  and 
ruin  to  the  chosen  people.  Agains-t  this  danger 
he  desires  to  guard  them.     Probably  no  man  ever 


214  COMMENTAEY  ON" 

2  And  Joshua  called  for  all  Israel,  and  for  their 
elders,  and  for  their  heads,  and  for  their  judges,  and 
for  their  officers,  and  said  unto  them,  I  am  old  and 
stricken  in  age: 

3  And  ye  have  seen  all  that  the  Lord  your  God 
hath  done  unto  all  these  nations  because  of  you;  for 
the  Lord  your  God  is  he  that  hath  fought  for  you. 

Bpoke  with  more  moral  power  to  a  nation  than  did 
Joshua.  His  influence  must  have  been  greater 
even  than  that  of  Moses,  as  he  had  completed  the 
work  of  settling  the  people  as  a  compact  common- 
wealth, and  they  felt  every  day  the  beneficent 
results  of  his  grand  leadership.  With  deep  rever- 
ence and  affection  they  must  have  hung  upon  his 
words,  —  words  that  must  have  had  much  to  do  with 
the  comparative  purity  of  the  nation  for  the  first 
centuries  of  its  existence.  Joshua's  honest,  unself- 
ish, godly,  and  heroic  character  added  to  the  lustre 
of  his  deeds  and  his  influence  over  all  Israel. 

Ver.  2.  All  Israel^  that  is,  their  elders^  heads, 
judges^  officers^  as  representatives  of  the  entire 
nation.  (See  chap.  i.  10,  and  viii.  33.)  This  seems 
to  be  the  order  of  gradation  (ascending  series)  in 
the  executive  powers  of  the  tribes,  elders,  however, 
being  the  generic  name  for  all.  This  solemn  as- 
sembly was  probably  held  at  Shiloh,  as  the  govern- 
mental centre  of  the  nation.  Perhaps  Joshua  took 
advantage  of  a  national  assembly  of  representatives, 
and  called  its  members  together  to  hear  his  fare- 
well words  to  the  people. 

Ver.  3.  Because  of  you.  Lit.,  "  From  before 
you."      Note   here   and  in  ver.  10  the  emphasis 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  xxin.  215 

4  Behold,  T  have  divided  unto  you  by  lot  these  na- 
tions that  remain,  to  be  an  inheritance  for  your  tribes, 
from  Jordan,  with  all  the  nations  that  I  have  cut  olf, 
even  unto  the  great  sea  westward. 

5  And  the  Lord  your  God,  he  shall  expel  them 
from  before  you,  and  drive  them  from  out  of  your 
sight;  and  ye  shall  possess  their  land,  as  the  LoitD 
your  God  hath  promised  unto  you. 

G  Be  ye  therefore  very  courageous  to  keep  and  to  do 
all  that  is  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  of  Closes,  that 
ye  turn  not  aside  therefrom  to  the  right  hand  or  to  the 
left; 

7  That  ye  come  not  among  these  nations,  these  that 
remain  among  you;  neither  make  mention  of  the  name 
of  their  gods,  nor  cause  to  swear  6//  thein,  neither  serve 
them,  nor  bow  yourselves  unto  them: 

8  But  cleave'  unto  the  Lord  your  God,  as  ye  have 
done  unto  this  day. 

which  Joshua  lays  upon  God's  fighting  for  them. 
The  whole  matter  of  destroying  the  Canaanites  was 
God's,  not  theirs. 

Ver,  4.  With  all  the  nations  that  I  have  cut  off. 
Rather,  "  even  all  the  nations  that  I  have  cut  off." 
These  nations  that  remained  had  been  cnt  off;  that 
is,  they  had  ceased  to  have  any  proper  nationality, 
and  were  represented  only  by  scattered  communi- 
ties. 

Ver.  5.  Drive  them  from  out  of  your  sight. 
Rather,  ''  dispossess  them  from  before  you." 

Ver.  6,  7.  Compare  chap.  i.  7,  for  the  order  of 
thought. 

Serving  the  gods  is  sacrificing  to  them ;  lowing 
is  praying. 

Ver.  8.  As  ye  have  done  unto  this  day,  A  noble 
testimony  for  the  nation. 


216  COMlVrENTAKY  ON 

9  For  the  Lord  hath  driven  out  from  before  you 
great  nations  and  strong:  but  as  for  you,  no  man  hath 
been  able  to  stand  before  you  unto  this  day. 

10  One  man  of  you  shall  chase  a  thousand:  for  the 
Lor>D  your  God,  he  it  is  that  fighteth  for  you,  as  he 
hath  promised  you. 

11  Take  good  heed  therefore  unto  yourselves,  that 
ye  love  the  Lord  your  God. 

12  Else  if  ye  do  in  any  vrise  go  back,  and  cleave 
unto  the  remnant  of  these  nations,  ecen  these  that 
remain  among  you,  and  shall  make  marriages  with 
them,  and  go  in  unto  them,  and  they  to  you: 

13  Know  for  a  certainty  that  the  Lord  your  God 
will  no  more  drive  out  a7iy  o/ these  nations  from  before 
you:  but  they  shall  be  snares  and  traps  unto  you,  and 
scourges  in  your  sides,  and  thorns  in  your  eyes,  until 
ye  perish  from  off  this  good  land  which  the  Lord  your 
God  hath  given  you. 

14  xlnd  behold,  this  day  I  am  going  the  way  of  all 
the  earth;  and  ye  know  in  all  your  hearts  and  in  all 
your  souls,  that  not  one  thing  hath  failed  of  all  the 
good  things  which  the  Lord  your  God  spake  concern- 
ing 3'ou;  all  are  come  to  pass  unto  you,  and  not  one 
thuig  hath  failed  thereof. 

Vek.  9.  But  as  for  you.     Rather,  "  and  as  for 

you." 

Vee.  11.  Tliat  ye  love  the  Lord  your  God.  It 
is  remarkable  that  with  such  repeated  appeals  to 
set  the  affections  on  God,  the  Jewish  system  is 
asserted  to  be  a  mere  formal  ritualism. 

Ver.  14.  This  begins  a  repetition  of  a  part  of 
what  he  has  already  said,  but  in  it  he  emjohasizes 
the  dangers  of  abandoning  Jehovah. 

All  the  earth,  i.e.,  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth. 

Hearts  —  souls  (hterally,  hearts  —  breaths'),  an 
idiom  for  thoroughness  of  conviction. 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.  xxin.  217 

15  Therefore  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  as  all  good 
things  are  come  upon  j'ou,  \Yhich  the  Loud  your  God 
promised  you;  so  shall  the  Loud  bring  upon  you  all 
evil  things,  until  he  have  destroyed  you  from  off  this 
good  land  which  the  Lord  your  God  hath  given  you. 

16  AVhen  ye  have  transgressed  the  covenant  of  the 
Lord  your  God,  uhich  he  commanded  you,  and  have 
gone  and  served  other  gods,  and  bowed  yourselves  to 
them;  then  shall  the  anger  of  the  Lord  be  kindled 
against  you,  and  ye  shall  perish  quickly  from  off  the 
good  land  which  he  hath  given  unto  you. 

Ver.  15.  So  shall  the  Lord  bring  upon  you  all 
evil  things^  i.e.,  in  case  of  your  failure  to  cleave  to 
him  (as  is  expressed  in  the  next  verse). 

Ver.  16.  The  repetition  of  good  laiid  in  verses 
13,  15,  and  16  reminds  us  of  the  fact  that  Palestine, 
when  under  the  favoring  care  of  God,  must  have 
been  one  of  the  most  fertile  lands  on  earth.  Its 
varied  climate  (as  between  the  mountains  and  low 
plains)  gave  it  variety  of  production,  its  hills  ad- 
mitting a  thorough  system  of  terracing,  enabled  a 
very  complete  occupation  of  the  land  for  agricultu- 
ral purposes,  and  choice  exposures  could  be  found 
for  such  vegetation  as  needed  more  or  less  influ- 
ence of  the  sun,  while  fountains  broke  forth  on 
every  side  and  supplied  abundantly  the  land  with 
moisture. 


10 


218  COMMENTARY  ON 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

1  And  Joshua  gathered  all  the  tribes  of  Israel  to 
Shechem,  and  called  for  the  elders  of  Israel,  and  for 
their  heads  and  for  their  judges,  and  for  their  officers; 
and  they  presented  themselves  before  God. 

This  chapter  brings  before  us  another  represen- 
tative assembh^  at  Shechem  this  time,  and  not  at 
Shiloh,  in  which  Joshua  renews  the  covenant  be- 
tween the  people  and  God,  as  he  had  done  nearly 
thirty  years  before  in  the  same  place.  (See  chap, 
viii.  30-o5.)  The  former  address  of  Joshua  seems 
to  have  been  delivered  in  the  belief  that  he  was 
soon  to  leave  this  world,  and  was  prompted  by  his 
ardent  desire  for  the  purity  of  the  people,  who 
■would  (he  knew)  be  sorely  tempted  away  from 
God  by  the  idolatrous  population  among  them. 
This  address,  however,  and  the  assembly  at  wdrich 
it  was  delivered,  were  appointed  by  divine  direction, 
as  we  see  by  the  phrase,  "  before  God,"  in  ver.  1,  and 
the  formula,  "  thus  saith  Jehovah,  God  of  Israel," 
in  ver.  2.  The  former  occasion  was  (so  to  speak) 
a  private  conference  of  Joshua  with  Israel.  This 
occasion  was  an  official  conference,  in  which  Joshua 
acted  as  the  divine  legate. 

Ver.  1.  Shechem^  the  place  made  a  sanctuary  by 
Abraham  on  entering  the  land  (Gen.  xii.  6,  7), 
and  again  by  Jacob    (Gen.   xxxiii.  20),  and  still 


JOSH0A,   CHAP.   XXIV.  219 

2  And  Joshua  said  unto  all  the  people,  Thus  saith 
the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  Your  fathers  dwelt  on  the 
other  side  of  the  flood  in  old  time,  even  Terah,  the 
father  of  Abraham,  and  the  father  of  Nachor:  and 
they  served  other  gods. 

o  And  I  took  your  father  Abraham  from  the  other 
side  of  the  flood,  and  led  him  throughout  all  the  land 
of  Canaan,  and  multiplied  his  seed,  and  gave  him 
Isaac. 

4  And  I  gave  unto  Isaac,  Jacob  and  Esau:  and  I 
gave  unto  Esau  mount  Seir,  to  possess  it;  but  Jacob 
and  his  children  went  down  into  Egypt. 

5  I  sent  Moses  also  and  Aaron,  and  1  plagued  Egj'pt, 
according  to  that  which  [  did  among  them:  and  after- 
ward I  brought  you  out. 

6  And  I  brought  your  fathers  out  of  Egypt:  and  ye 
came  unto  the  sea;  and  the  Egyptians  pursued  after 
your  fathers  with  chariots  and  horsemen  unto  the  Ked 
sea. 

7  And  when  they  cried  unto  the  Lord,  he  put 
darkness  between  you  and  the  Egyptians,  and  brought 

again  made  the  scene  of  the  renewal  of  the  cove- 
nant, when  the  nation  Israel  entered  upon  posses- 
sion of  the  land  (chap.  viii.  30-35).  As  the  very 
centre  of  the  land,  alt^o,  it  was  a  fitting  spot  for  the 
solemn  ceremony  to  be  enacted. 

Elders  —  heads  —  judges  —  officers,  (See  on 
chap,  xxiii.   2.) 

Before  God.  Not  before  the  tabernacle  which 
was  at  Shiloh.  That  would  have  been  "before 
Jehovah."  But  at  the  command  of  God,  to  wor- 
ship him  and  take  part  in  a  religions  act. 

Yer.  2.  The  flood.  Lit.,  "the  river,"  z.e,,  the 
Euphrates. 

Ver.  3.  Throughout  all  the  laiid  of  Canaan^  in 
order  to  survey  the  land  promised  to  his  posterity 
(See  Gen.  xii.) 


220  COMMENTARY  ON 

the  sea  upon  them,  ai)d  covered  them;  and  yonr  eyes 
have  seen  what  I  have  done  in  Egypt:  and  ye  dwelt  in 
the  wilderness  a  long  season. 

8  And  I  brought  you  into  the  land  of  the  Amorites, 
•uhich  dwelt  on  the  other  side  Jordan;  and  they  fought 

.  with  you:  and  I  gave  them  into  your  hand,  that  ye 
might  possess  their  land;  and  I  destroyed  them  from 
before  you. 

9  Then  Balak  the  son  of  Zippor,  king  of  Moab, 
arose  and  warred  against  Israel,  and  sent  and  called 
Balaam  the  son  of  Beor  to  curse  you: 

10  But  I  would  not  hearken  unto  Balaam;  therefore 
he  blessed  you  still:  so  I  delivered  you  out  of  his 
hand. 

11  And  ye  went  over  Jordan,  and  came  unto  Jeri- 
cho: and  the  men  of  Jericho  fought  against  you,  the 
Amorites,  and  the  Pcrizzites,  and  the  Canaanites,  and 
the  Ilittites,  and  the  Girgashites,  the  Ilivites,  and  the 
Jebusites,  and  I  delivered  them  into  your  hand. 

12  And  I  sent  the  hornet  before  you,  wdiich  drave 
them  out  from  before  you,  even  the  two  kmgs  of  the 
Amorites:  but  not  with  thy  sword,  nor  with  thy  bow. 


Ver.  11.  The  Amorites^  &c.  There  seems  to  be 
an  apposition  here  with  "  the  men  (or  possessors) 
of  Jericho."  Jericho,  as  an  important  frontier  city, 
may  have  had  in  it  representatives  of  all  the  seven 
nations  of  Canaan  for  defence  against  Israel.  No- 
tice that  the  Girgashites  appear  here  at  Jericho, 
who  afterward  disappear.  (See  note  on  chap. 
ix.  1.) 

Ver.  12.  This  verse  seems  to  be  ou-t  of  place. 
It  should  be  betw^een  the  eighth  and  ninth  verses, 
as  it  refers  to  the  action  against  Sihon  and  Og. 
The  homoeoteleuton  will  account  for  the  error  in 
transcription. 

Hornet.  (See  Ex.  xxiii.  28,  and  Deut.  vii.  20.) 
A   figurative   expression  for  the   tribulation  God 


JOSHUA,   CHAP.   XXIV.  221 

13  And  I  have  given  you  a  land  for  which  ye  did 
not  labour,  and  cities  which  ye  built  not,  and  ye  dwell 
in  them;  of  the  vineyards  and  olive-yards  which  ye 
planted  not  do  ye  jeat. 

14  ^  Now  therefore  fear  the  Lord,  and  serve  him 
in  sincerity  and  in  truth:  and  put  away  the  gods  which 
your  fathers  served  on  the  other  side  of  the  flood,  and 
in  Egypt;  and  serve  ye  the  Lord. 

caused  among  the  people  of  Canaan  in  preparation, 
for  Israel's  entrance  into  the  land.  Some  of  this 
tribulation  consisted  of  their  fear  of  the  advancing 
Israelites  (see  chap.  ii.  9-11),  and  perhaps  some 
consisted  of  inter-tribal  wars  and  local  pestilences. 

Vek.  14.  The  marvellous  history  so  clearly  and 
succinctly  recounted  was  the  natural  preface  for 
the  exhortation  which  here  begins. 

Flood.     (See  on  ver.  2.) 

Put  aivay  the  gods.  This  seems  to  imply  that 
Israel  was  beginning  to  think  less  evil  of  the  idola- 
try around  them.  Perhaps  some  of  the  idols  of 
the  subdued  Canaanites  had  been  preserved  as 
spoil,  or  had  been  received  as  curiosities  or  orna- 
ments, and  God  Avould  nip  the  mischief  in  the  bud. 
They  should  put  away  these  objects  altogether,  for 
they  would  tempt  them  to  regard  idolatry  as  a 
small  evil,  and  so  prepare  the  way  for  their  own 
idolatrous  habits.  As,  however,  the  gods  they  were 
to  put  away  were  the  gods  which  their  fathers 
served  on  the  other  side  of  the  Euphrates  and  in 
Egypt,  it  is  more  probable  that  they  had  kept  some 
of  the  old  teraphim  (see  Gen.  xxxi.  34)  of  Syria 
and  idolatrous  trinkets  of  Egypt  as  heirlooms  among 
their  families.     (Comp.  Amos  v.  26.) 


222  COMMENTARY  ON 

15  And  if  it  seem  evil  unto  you  to  serve  the  Lord, 
choose  you  this  day  whom  ye  will  serve,  whether  the 
gods  which  your  fathers  served  that  icere  on  the  other 
side  of  the  flood,  or  the  gods  of  the  Amorites  in  whose 
land  ye  dwell:  but  as  for  me  and  my  house,  we  will 
serve  the  Lord. 

16  And  the  people  answered,  and  said,  God  forbid 
that  we  should  forsake  the  Lord,  to  serve  other  gods; 

17  For  the  Lord  our  God,  he  it  is  that  brought  us 
up,  and  our  fathers,  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  from  the 
house  of  bondage,  and  which  did  those  great  signs  in 
our  sight,  and  preserved  us  in  all  the  way  wherein  we 
went,  and  among  all  the  people  through  whom  we 
passed: 

18  And  the  Lord  drave  out  from  before  us  all  the 
people,  even  the  Amorites  which  dwelt  in  the  land: 
therefore  wdll  we  also  serve  the  Lord;  for  he  is  our 
God. 

19  And  Joshua  said  unto  the  people,  Ye  cannot 
serve  the  Lord:  for  he  is  an  holy  God:  he  is  a  jealous 
God;  he  will  not  forgive  your  transgressions,  nor  your 
sins. 

20  If  ye  forsake  the  Lord,  and  serve  strange  gods, 
then  he  will  turn  and  do  you  hurt,  and  consume  you, 
after  that  he  hath  done  you  good. 

21  And  the  people  said  unto  Joshua,  Nay;  but  we 
will  serve  the  Lord. 

Ver.  15.  Choose  you  this  day  whom  ye  will  ser^ve, 
A  most  forcible  irony.  Would  they  take  the  gods 
of  Mesopotamia,  or  the  gods  of  Canaan  ?  —  which  ? 
The  former  their  fathers  had  abandoned,  the  lat- 
ter had  not  preserved  their  worshippers.  As  for 
Joshua,  he  Avould  serve  Jehovah. 

Ver.  18.  The  people  adopt  both  premise  and 
conclusion  from  Joshua. 

Ver.  19-21.  Joshua  strengthens  the  action  of 
the  people,  by  showing  God's  holy  jealousy  against 
all  apostasy. 


JOSHUA,    CHAP.   XXIV.  223 

22  And  Joshua  said  unto  the  people,  Ye  are  wit- 
nesses against  yourselves  that  ye  have  chosen  you  the 
Loud,  to  serve  him.  And  they  said,  We  are  wit- 
nesses. 

23  Now  therefore  put  away  (said  he)  the  strange 
gods  which  are  among  you,  and  incline  your  heart 
unto  the  Lord  God  of  Israel. 

21  And  the  people  said  unto  Joshua,  The  Lord 
our  God  will  we  serve,  and  his  voice  will  we  obey. 

25  So  Joshua  made  a  covenant  with  the  people  that 
day,  and  set  them  a  statute  and  an  ordinance  in  She- 
chem, 

20  T[  And  Joshua  wrote  these  words  in  the  book  of 
the  law  of  God,  and  took  a  great  stone,  and  set  it  up 
there  under  an  oak  that  was  by  the  sanctuary  of  the 
Lord. 


Ver.  22-24.  A  final  clinching  of  the  solemn 
contract  of  the  people.  The  third  blow  (as  it 
were),  to  make  all  fast. 

Ver.  25.  So  Joshua  ynade  a  coveyiant.  Lit.,  "  and 
Joshua  cut  a  covenant."  After  the  oral  promises 
reiterated  once  and  again,  the  ceremonies  of  a 
formal  covenant  are  performed. 

Statute  and  ordinance.  A  hendiadj^s  for  "  a 
solemn  sentence  written  or  inscribed,"  probably 
cut  into  the  great  stone  that  was  set  up.  (See 
next  verse.) 

Ver.  26.  Joshua  added  this  record  to  the  Pen- 
tateuch. 

Under  an  oak  that  was  hy  the  sanctuary  of  the 
Lord.  Rather,  "  under  the  oak  that  was  in  the 
sanctuary  of  Jehovah."  That  is,  under  the  oak 
grove  (or  terebinth  grove),  where  Abraham  and 
Jacob  had  built  their  altars  (see  on  ver.  1),  and 


224  COMMENTAEY    OK 

27  And  Joshua  said  unto  all  the  people,  Behold, 
this  stone  shall  be  a  -svitness  unto  us;  for  it  hath  heard 
all  the  words  of  the  Lohd  which  he  spake  unto  us:  it 
shall  be  therefore  a  witness  unto  you,  lest  ye  deny 
your  God. 

28  So  Joshua  let  the  people  depart,  every  man  unto 
his  inheritance. 

29  *|[  And  it  came  to  pass  after  these  things,  that 
Joshua  the  son  of  Nun  the  servant  of  the  Loud  died, 
heing  an  hundred  and  ten  years  old. 

3U  And  they  buried  him  in  the  border  of  his  inheri- 
tance in  Timnath-serah,  which  is  in  mount  Ephraim, 
on  the  north  side  of  the  hill  of  Gaash. 

31  And  Israel  served  the  Loud  all  the  days  of  Joshua, 
and  all  the  days  of  the  elders  that  overlived  Joshua, 
and  which  had  known  all  the  works  of  the  Loud  that 
he  had  done  for  Israel. 

32  %  And  the  bones  of  Joseph,  which  the  children 
of  Israel  brought  up  out  of  Egypt,  buried  they  in  She- 
chem,  in  a  parcel  of  ground  which  Jacob  bought  of 
the  sons  of  iiamor  the  father  of  Shechem  for  an  hun- 
dred pieces  of  silver;  and  it  became  the  inheritance  of 
the  children  of  Joseph. 

where  Jacob  had  purified  his  family.  This  was 
"  the  sanctuary  of  Jehovah "  in  Shechem. 

Vee.  27.  It  hath  heard.  Compare,  for  this  bold 
figure,  Hab.  ii.  11,  and  our  Saviour's  own  words, 
Luke  xix.  40. 

Ver.  30.  Timnath-serah.  (See  on  chap.  xix. 
50.) 

The  hill  of  Gaash  is  not  identified.  It  is  prob- 
ably the  hill  of  Deir  Abu  Meshal. 

Ver.  32.  The  burial  of  Joseph's  bones,  though 
mentioned  here  to  save  interrupting  the  story  of 
Joshua,  yet  was  doubtless  made  so  soon  as  Israel 
gained  possession  of  the  soil. 

WJiich  Jacob  bought.     (See  Gen.  xxxiii.  19.) 


JOSHUA,  CHAP.   XXIV.  225 

33  And  Eleazar  the  son  of  Aaron  died;  and  they 
buried  him  in  a  hill  that  pertained  to  Phinehas  his  son, 
"which  was  given  him  in  mount  Ephraim. 

Ver.  33.  In  a  liill  that  pertained  to  Phinehas. 
Rather,  "in  Gibeath  Phinehas,"  a  place  so  called 
from  his  son.  Perhaps  it  is  the  present  Jihia,  near 
the  central  Gilsfal. 


10* 


APPENDIX. 


I.  The  Chronological  Question. 

The  date  in  1  Ki.  vi.  1,  is  one  of  great  importauce  in 
arranging  any  system  of  Old  Testament  chronology.  We 
are  there  told  that  from  the  exodus  to  Solomon's  acces- 
sion there  were  four  hundi'ed  and  seventy-six  years.  Sol- 
omon's accession  can  be  very  proximately  timed  by  the 
notices  of  reigns  between  his  own  and  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  where  by  the  help  of  Baby- 
lonian and  the  later  Persian  records  all  is  made  plain. 
According  to  these  data,  Usher's  date  of  1015  for  Solo- 
mon's accession  is  quite  correct,  and  hence  the  year  of  the 
exodus  would  be  B.C.  1491.  Now  this  date  would  make 
the  exodus  to  have  occurred  in  the  reign  of  Thotmes  III. 
of  Egypt,  according  to  the  Egyptian  chronology  of  Wil- 
kinson and  others.  But  this  hinge  passage  in  1  Kings  is 
supposed  to  be  an  interpolation,  from  the  fact  that  Origen 
quotes  the  passage  immediately  following,  but  omits  this, 
and  from  the  additional  fact  that  Josephus  and  the  early 
Christian  historians  seem  not  to  have  known  it.  Now  if 
we  take  away  the  date  in  1  King?,  we  are  left  to  two 
courses  :  either  to  go  with  Brugsch,  and  lessen  the  time 
between  the  exodus  and  Solomon,  putthig  the  exodus  in  the 
reign  of  Merneptah,  son  of  the  great  Rameses  (b.c.  1289- 
1269)  ;  or  to  heed  the  almost  necessity  of  the  chronology 
of  the  Book  of  Judges,  and  lengthen  the  time  between  the 


228  APPENDIX. 

exodus  and  Solomon,  putting  the  exodus  back  in  the 
seventeenth  djmasty  (b.c.  1651-1580*).  We  thus  have 
a  range  of  four  hundred  years,  with  regard  to  which  we 
are  in  uncertainty  as  to  the  right  place  of  the  exodus. 
A  difficulty  of  the  first  two  dates  has  been  suggested  in  the 
fact  that  the  times  immediately  after  Thotmes  III.  and 
Merneptah  were  so  prosperous  and  warlike  in  Egyptian 
affairs  as  scarcely  to  permit  the  conquest  of  Canaan  by 
Joshua.  The  last  date  might  suit  in  this  particular,  if 
we  accept*  the  shorter  Egyptian  chronology,  and  put  the 
exodus  in  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  dynasty ;  but 
we  use  the  longer  chronology  of  Lepsius,  we  are  then,  if 
with  our  longer  Israelitish  chronology,  only  brought  back 
to  Thotmes  III.,  and  meet  the  old  difficulty.  Thus  two 
hypotheses  bring  us  to  Thotmes,  and  it  may  be  best  to 
hold  provisionally  his  date  for  the  exodus,  and  to  take 
Canon  Cook's  ingenious  explanation  of  the  difficulty.  (See 
Speaker's  Commentary,  vol.  i.  pp.  459,  460.)  In  the  prog- 
ress of  Egyptian  discovery,  we  may  hereafter  find  more 
solid  data  than  any  we  now  have. 

If  we  take  the  whole  of  the  disputed  period  of  four 
hundred  years  from  (say)  B.C.  1660-1260,  we  find  that 
the  Chaldean  kingdom  made  no  impression  upon  the  Pal- 
estine region  during  it,  for  the  temporary  raiding  sway  of 
Chedorlaomer  was  long  before,  and  that  of  Chushan-risha- 
thaim  (if  he  be  Chaldean)  was  afterward.  We  find,  also, 
that  the  Assyrian  monarchy  during  these  centuries  had  not 
ventured  its  strength  beyond  the  Euphrates.  Egypt  was 
the  only  great  kingdom  that  could  have  interfered  with 
the  progress  of  Israel  to  Canaan  and   its  peaceful  settle- 

*  This  is  Wilkinson's  data;  Lepsius  and  Brugsch  make  it  1706 
B.C.,  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  years  earher,  and  so  gi^e  an 
earUer  date  to  Rameses  than  Wilkinson's  years  above. 


APPENDIX.  229 

ment ;  and  from  the  fact  that  no  mention  of  Egypt  is  made 
in  the  whole  narrative,  and  no  hostile  attack  of  Egypt  is 
noted  till  Rehoboam's  day,  five  centuries  after  the  exodus, 
we  may  conclude  that  Egypt  adopted  the  policy  of  leaving 
Israel  untouched  in  her  frequent  invasions  of  Syria  during 
the  eighteenth,  nineteenth,  twentieth,  and  twenty-first  dyn- 
asties. This  may  have  been  a  policy  of  the  great  empire, 
(providentially  ordered  by  God  for  the  protection  of  his 
people),  by  which  to  put  a  barrier  between  the  Rutennu  and 
Cheta  on  the  north  and  Egypt  on  the  south.  Such  an 
hypothesis  would  explain  the  wonderful  security  of  Israel 
for  centuries,  while  so  near  their  old  and  powerful 
oppressor  in  the  height  of  its  grandeur.  Certainly,  it  is  a 
most  marvellous  fact  that  from  Israel  we  hear  nothing  of 
Egypt  for  five  centuries,  in  which  such  monarchs  as 
Thotmes  III.,  Amenotep  II.  and  III.,  Seti,  Rameses  I., 
IL,  and  III.,  were  overrunning  western  Asia.  This  is 
perhaps  one  of  the  strongest  arguments  for  putting  the 
exodus  at  a  late  date,  just  before  the  depressed  state  of 
Egypt  which  seems  to  have  followed  the  reign  of  Rameses 
III.  Yet  strong  as  it  is,  it  is  too  solidly  met  by  the 
demand  for  a  much  longer  time  between  the  exodus  and 
Solomon  for  us  to  accept  it,  and  we  therefore  •  fall  back 
upon  our  hypothesis,  above  stated,  for  the  non-appearance 
of  Egypt  in  Israelitish  history  between  the  time  of  the 
Pharaoh  of  the  exodus  and  Shishak. 

IL  The  Miracles. 

The  grand  miracles  of  the  dividing  of  the  Jordan,  the 
fall  of  Jericho's  walls,  and  the  standing  still  of  the  sun  and 
moon,  have  received  an  unusual  share  of  infidel  attack. 
They  really  formed  part  of  the  same  series  of  miracles 
which  began  with  the  plagues  of  Egypt,  and  was  contin- 


230  APPENDIX. 

ued  in  the  dividing  of  the  Red  Sea,  the  guidance  of  the 
cloud,  and  the  daily  furnishing  of  the  manna.  It  was  the 
period  of  founding  a  great  church  by  the  God  of  Salva- 
tion, and  he  surrounded  its  founding  with  glorious  evi- 
dences, as  afterward  he  surrounded  the  founding  of  the 
Christian  Church,  its  development,  with  like  miraculous 
evidences  for  the  conviction  of  mankind.  "We  should  look 
just  to  such  epochs  as  those  in  which  marvels  from  God's 
hand  should  be  dealt  out  to  the  world.  That  a  miracle 
is  impossible,  is  an  absurdity  to  any  mind  that  believes  in 
God,  and,  if  possible,  then  here  is  just  the  place  for  mira- 
cles. Further,  that  a  miracle  cannot  be  proved  by  evi- 
dence, is  an  absurdity  to  any  one  who  believes  in  man.  If 
men  are  good  witnesses  to  a  steamer's  explosion,  they  are 
equally  good  witnesses  to  a  rapid  river  ceasing  its  flow 
for  several  hours,  and  then  resuming  its  fulness  and  force. 
As  to  the  miracles  of  the  Book  of  Joshua,  the  evidence  for 
each  is  the  same ;  and  yet  it  is  strange  how  many  who 
accept  the  miracle  of  the  Jordan  and  of  Jericho,  hesitate 
at  the  sun's  standing  still,  and  endeavor  to  explain  it 
away.  They  say  it  is  poetry.  But  if  it  be  poetry,  it  is 
quoted  as  history  by  the  sacred  historian  in  a  most  matter- 
of-fact  narrative.  To  introduce  a  mere  flight  of  poetry  in 
such  a  narrative  would  be  not  only  awkward  but  false. 
But,  beside  this,  no  poetry  would  dare  to  make  a  mere 
wish  of  Joshua's,  or  a  retrospective  rejoicing  of  Israel,  take 
the  form  of  this  quotation  from  the  Book  of  Jasher;  thus 
(Josh.  X.  12-14),  "Then  spake  Joshua  to  Jehovah  in  the 
day  when  Jehovah  delivered  up  the  Amorites  before  the 
children  of  Israel,  and  he  said  in  the  sight  of  Israel,  Sun, 
stand  thou  still  upon  Gibeon,  and  thou,  Moon,  in  the 
valley  of  Ajalon.  And  the  sun  stood  still,  and  the  moon 
stayed,  until  the  people   had   avenged   themselves   upon 


APPENDIX.  231 

their  enemies.  Is  not  this  written  in  the  book  of  Jasher? 
So  the  sun  stood  still  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  and  hasted 
not  to  go  down  about  a  whole  day.  And  there  was  no 
day  like  that  before  it  or  after  it,  that  Jehovah  hearkened 
unto  the  voice  of  a  man :  for  Jehovah  fought  for  Israel." 
Surely  if  the  sun  and  moon  continued  their  apparent 
courses,  this  would  be  poetry  run  mad.  The  quotation 
from  Deborah's  triumphant  song  is  often  used  as  a  parallel, 
"  The  stars  in  their  courses  fought  against  Sisera,"  but 
this  would  be  a  perfectly  legitimate  hyperbole  for  the 
shrouding  of  the  stars  in  darkness,  by  which  God  may  have 
made  the  night  too  dark  for  successful  fliojht.  The  detailed 
statements  of  our  passage  in  Joshua  bear  no  comparison 
with  this  poetry  of  Deborah.  But  still  further,  it  is  highly 
improbable  that  the  passage,  after  the  mention  of  the  Book 
of  Jasher,  is  either  quotation  or  poetry.  It  is  rather  the 
sacred  historian's  comment  on  the  quotation,  and  his  repe- 
tition of  its  main  truth. 

The  argument  against  the  miracle,  that  it  is  never  again 
mentioned,  has  no  force  whatever,  even  were  it  true,  for 
many  wonderful  manifestations  of  God's  power  are  men- 
tioned but  once.  But  it  is  not  true,  for  in  Hab.  iii.  11, 
the  reference  to  this  event  is  unmistakable. 

As  to  the  miracle  itself,  no  one  for  a  moment  would 
suppose  that  a  literal  standing  still  of  sun  and  moon  is 
necessarily  intended.  To  argue  from  this  phraseology, 
that  it  shows  an  ignorance  of  astronomy,  and  is  therefore  a 
part  of  a  false  record,  is  puerile,  and  should  be  so  held  by 
every  one  who  says  "  the  sun  rises  "  and  "  the  sun  sets." 
There  was  an  apparent  stoppage  of  the  apparent  courses 
of  the  sun  and  moon,  whether  by  action  through  the  laws 
of  refraction  or  otherwise  it  matters  little.  God  could  do 
it,  that's  enough.      This  apparent   stoppage   of  sun  and 


232  APPENDIX. 

moon  occurred  early  in  the  day,  as  the  sun  stood  still  over 
Gibeon,  and  the  army  of  Joshua  was  at  the  west  of  that 
city.  This  shows  that  the  ordinary  reason  for  the  miracle 
(that  the  day  should  be  prolonged  and  give  more  time  for 
the  pursuit)  is  incorrect.  The  miracle  was  wrought  early 
in  the  day,  probably  as  an  encouragement  to  Israel,  to 
whom  it  was  announced  by  Joshua  as  a  sign  of  Jehovah's 
presence  and  blessing.  The  stoppage  may  have  continued 
only  a  few  hours,  long  enough  to  serve  its  purpose  as  a 
divine  sign.  The  phrase,  "  hasted  not  to  go  down  about 
a  whole  day,"  does  not  militate  against  tliis  view,  for  that 
passage,  strictly  rendered,  should  read,  "  hasted  not  to  go 
down  as  a  perfect  day,"  i.e.,  tarried,  and  did  not  hurry  on, 
as  it  does  on  every  ordinary  day. 

III.  The  Moral  Question. 

The  cruelty  of  the  destruction  of  the  Canaanites  has 
been  always  emphasized  by  the  opponents  of  the  Scriptures, 
and  has  been  one  of  the  most  plausible  arguments  against 
revelation.  The  manner  in  which  the  objection  is  put  is 
this :  that  the  slaughter  by  the  Israelites  of  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  innocent  children  and  women,  as  well  as  men 
in  arms,  in  order  to  clear  a  laud  for  the  settlement  of 
themselves,  is  a  piece  of  selfishness  and  barbarism  not  to  be 
equalled  by  any  fact  in  the  history  of  violence  and  rapacity, 
and  that  such  conduct  could  never  have  been  sanctioned  by 
a  just  and  holy  God,  but  must  have  received  his  righteous 
reprobation ;  hence  any  mark  of  God's  approval  as  here 
recorded  is  a  falsehood,  and  the  whole  history  is  proved  to 
be  a  fraud.  This  specious  reasoning  is  very  apt  to  carry 
away  a  superficial  thinker,  because  its  parts  hold  well 
together,  and  you  vainly  strive  to  find  a  weak  link  in  the 
chain.     If  the  statement  be  true,  the  conclusion  is  irresist- 


APPENDIX.  233 

ible.     But  it  is  in  the  statement  the  treachery  lies.     The 
Israelites  did  not  slaughter  women  and  children  in  order 
to  clear  a  land  for  themselves,  but  they  did  it  in  order  to  he 
faithful  to  God.     The  act  was  not  theirs  at  all,  but  God's  ; 
and  they  even  resisted    its  performance,  and  spared  the 
Canaanites  again  and  again,  in   opposition  to  the  divine 
commandment.     God   had    ordered    the    extermination  of 
the  Canaanites  at  their  hand,  both  directing  it  to  be  fully 
done,  in  spite  of  their  promptings  to  spare,  and  also  declar- 
ing that  the  judgment  upon   Canaan  had  nothing  to  do 
with   Israel's    superiority  or   any    right   on    Israel's    part 
(Deut.   vii.  2,  xx.  16-18,  as  compared  with  ver.  10,  also 
Deut.  ix.  4-6).     We  are  therefore  to  consider  Israel  as 
an  obedient  instrument  in  God's  hand,  and  view  the  action 
as  entirely  God's.     This  takes  it  out  of  the  analogy  of 
human   actions,  and   prohibits    our    condemning    verdict. 
Are  we  ready  to  condemn   God  for  causing  the  death  of 
women  and  children  ?     Are  we  ready  to  blame  him  for 
using  the  pestilence,  the  wasting  fever,  the  racking  pains 
of  inflammation  and  rheumatism,  in  dissolving  the  human 
body  ?    What  are  we,  that  we  can  enter  into  the  counsels  of 
the  Most  High,  and  act  the  critic  there  ?    Does  it  not  become 
us  to  be  dumb  and  submissive,  confiding  in  his  infinite  truth  ? 
This  is  the  state  of  the  question.     God  is  •not  sanctioning 
cruelty  in  man  by  this  exceptional  action   through  Israel 
any  more  than  the  State  is  sanctioning  cruelty  in  man  by 
its  charge  to  the  sheriff  for  the  execution  of  a  thousand 
criminals.     God  especially  fortified  Israel  against  receiv- 
ing a  taste  or  tendency  for  cruelty  from  these  peculiar 
circumstances   by  the  merciful   provisions  of  the  Mosaic 
law,  and  the  careful   details  of  the  religious  life  of  the 
nation.     The  people  were  watched  over  with  the  assiduity 
and  constant   provision  of  a  nurse  with  her    child,  and 


234  APPENDIX. 

could  thus  be  safely  entrusted  with  a  commission  which  to 
other  nations  would  have  been  injurious.  The  above  rea- 
soning would  hold  good  if  every  Canaanite  had  been 
destroyed ;  but  the  instance  of  Rahab  reveals  a  principle 
of  exception  that  must  not  be  overlooked.  The  depraved 
people  of  Palestine  had  for  forty  years  been  warned  of  the 
coming  judgments,  and  called  to  the  true  God  by  the 
events  occurring  almost  at  their  doors.  The  grand  evi- 
dences of  Jehovah's  presence  and  will  in  the  plagues  of 
Egypt,  the  parting  of  the  Red  Sea,  the  guidance  of  the 
cloud,  and  the  daily  supply  of  manna,  were  well  known  to 
all  tlie  tribes  of  Canaan.  God  was  near  them,  and  coming 
toward  them  to  punish  them,  and  in  his  mercy  he  gave 
them  forty  years  to  turn  unto  him.  But  all  this  warning 
display  of  the  Divine  purpose  produced  in  the  Canaanites 
(as  such  long-suffering  threaten ings  are  wont  to  do  with 
wilful  man)  a  strange  mingling  of  fear  and  resistance, 
instead  of  penitence  and  faith.  Rahab,  however,  was  an 
instance  of  the  penitence  and  faith,  and  her  statement 
throws  great  light  on  the  whole  subject  of  Canaan's  warn- 
ing. It  is  this  :  "  I  know  that  Jehovah  hath  given  you 
the  land,  and  that  your  terror  is  fallen  upon  us,  and  that 
all  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  faint  because  of  you  ;  for 
we  have  heard. how  the  Lord  dried  up  the  water  of"  the 
Red  Sea  for  you,  when  ye  came  out  of  Egypt  [i.e.,  forty 
years  before]  ;  and  what  ye  did  unto  the  two  kings  of  the 
Amorites  that  were  on  the  other  side  Jordan,  Sihon  and 
Og,  whom  ye  utterly  destroyed  [z.e.,  only  the  preced- 
ing year].  And  as  soon  as  we  had  heard  these  things,  our 
hearts  did  melt,  neither  did  there  remain  any  more  courage 
in  any  man,  because  of  you  ;  for  Jehovah  your  God,  he  is 
God  in  heaven  above  and  in  earth  beneath  "  (Josh.  ii.  9- 
11).     How  many  of  Canaan's  inhabitants  acted  as  Rahab, 


APPENDIX.  235 

and  were  spared,  we  know  not.  There  may  have  been 
thousands.  But  we  know  this  additional  fact  of  God's 
mercy  amid  his  righteous  judgments,  that  Rahab's  faith  in 
Jehovah  secured  from  Canaan's  fate  not  only  herself,  but 
her  father  and  motiier,  her  brothers  and  sisters,  and  all 
belonging  to  their  families  ("  all  that  they  have,"  chap.  ii. 
13  ;  "all  her  kindred,"  cliap.  vi.  23).  The  Mosaic  system, 
which  made  ample  provision  for  the  stranger  as  well  as 
the  Hebrew,  may  have  embraced  in  Palestine  many  thou- 
sands of  these  believing  and  spared  Canaanites. 

IV.  The  Spiritual  Lessons  of  the  Book. 

The  book  is  a  grand  lesson  of  trust  in  a  covenant  Jeho- 
vah, whose  strength  is  assured  to  his  people.  It  shows 
his  tenderness  at  the  same  time  with  his  holy  severity 
asrainst  wanton  disrecrard  of  his  commandments.  Pre- 
sumptuous  Achan  is  cut  off,  but  Israel,  failing  to  destroy 
the  Canaanites,  not  from  presumptuousness,  but  from  lack 
of  fliith  and  courage,  is  not  cut  off,  but  is  plagued  by  its 
own  weakness.  The  power  of  a  pure  piety  to  cement 
brethren  together  is  also  demonstrated  in  this  story  of 
Israel's  purest  period,  and  the  relation  of  the  two  (love  to 
God  and  love  to  the  brethren)  is  beautifully  illustrated  in 
the  action  and  reaction  between  the  tribes  touching  the 
altar-monument  erected  by  the  trans-Jordanic  tribes  in  the 
Jordan  valley.  Everywhere  in  the  book  the  ritual  is 
shown  to  be  subservient  to  the  spiritual,  and  the  service  of 
God  is  the  obedient  heart  and  the  loving  devotion  of  the 
whole  man.  In  God's  words  to  Joshua,  in  Achan's  sad 
story,  in  the  scene  at  Ebal,  in  the  parting  of  the  trans- 
Jordanic  tribes,  and  in  the  two  valedictories  of  Joshua,  the 
deep  heart-religion  of  the  Mosaic  system  is  especially  evi- 
dent. 


236  APPENDIX. 

Nor  can  we  ignore  the  lessons  that  come  to  us  through 
a  symbolism  which  we  are  taught  by  the  Apostle  Paul  and 
the  author  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews.  We  see,  not 
as  a  poetic  imagination,  but  as  a  heavenly  instruction,  the 
entrance  into  Canaan  symbolizing  the  believer's  entrance 
into  rest,  not  the  rest  of  heaven,  but  the  rest  which  even 
here  he  has  in  Jesus  Christ.  We  see  that  in  this  rest  he 
may  be  disturbed  by  his  own  lack  of  faith,  the  results  of 
which  failure  will  be  thorns  in  his  side,  and  that  only  by  a 
complete  commitment  of  himself  to  the  will  of  God  will 
his  rest  be  made  perfect.  We  see,  moreover,  how  our 
Joshua  (Jesus)  is  the  sole  guide  to  this  rest,  so  that  as 
Jesus  is  both  priest  and  sacrifice,  both  foundation  and 
builder,  so  is  he  both  the  Rest  and  the  Guide  to  it. 

In  the  light  of  the  New  Testament,  this  book  of  Joshua 
will  prove  full  of  spiritual  comfort  and  edification  to  every 
seeking  believer.  God  has  placed  it  in  the  canon  not  to 
praise  Joshua  or  Israel,  but  to  teach  and  bless  his  dear  peo- 
ple to  the  end  of  time. 


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